


Delicate

by ofathena



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-05-10
Packaged: 2019-10-16 10:23:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 22,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17547893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofathena/pseuds/ofathena
Summary: The day that Bella Swan moved to Forks triggered a change in the status quo amongst the vampires and Quileutes within the Olympic Peninsula. That change extended to Astraea, an almost human who accidentally gets caught between the wolves and the vampires and discovers that soulmates might not be as much of a novelty as they sound.





	1. Astra I

Astraea Toulouse could feel Edward Cullen’s eyes burning holes into her back. She wasn’t sure if it was on purpose, or whether it was to avoid making eye contact with the new girl sitting awkwardly beside him, but Astra was acutely aware of his gaze. She didn’t bother glancing back, she knew the Cullens well enough to know that she’d never win a staring contest, instead, she used the mirror on the microscope to investigate said new girl. She was supposedly from Arizona, with dark hair and skin paler than Astra’s own, which was a feat in itself and she looked quite uncomfortable and remarkably defeated. Edward seemed to be edging away from her little by little as the lesson continued and a flush of pity wormed its way through Astra’s cold exterior.

 

“If you’re so uncomfortable Cullen, I’ll partner with the newbie,” Astra’s voice was coated thinly with ice, uncaring about the effect it had. The Cullens had always kept their distance but this interaction was extreme, even for them and Astra disliked the way the new girl’s face seemed to drop further and further as the minutes ticked past. Edward Cullen had long been regarded as unattainable, not that it really had ever bothered Astra but the way he jumped at her suggestion, made her wonder if the newbie had tried a move or two on him whilst Astra had been napping at the start of class.

 

Edward nodded at her with a sharp courtesy and Astra made a face behind his back at the new girl, who smiled weakly, though Astra didn’t miss the way her eyes linger forlornly on Edward’s back. Poor little puppy. She’d learn, they all did. Astra had never bothered with Edward, though Rosalie Hale, his adopted sister did capture Astra’s brief interest before she’d realised that the blonde and Emmett Cullen, another adopted child of the Cullens, came as a package deal.

 

“I wouldn’t bother honey, he’s not really the type of guy you wanna get mixed up with,” Astra murmured to the new girl, loud enough though that she knew Edward hear her words. His back was still stiff, as though he was expecting something to happen and Astra, with a roll of her eyes, turned to wink at her new neighbour, a warmth towards the other girl spreading through Astra.

 

“I’m Astra, Astraea Toulouse for long but everyone calls me Astra,” She extended a hand beneath the desk and the new girl shook it, her cool skin a shock to Astra’s warm. There was a strength to the other girl’s handshake that surprised Astra but she said nothing as the girl cleared her throat, ducking her head into her hair, a shy girl tendency that was immediately obvious.

 

“I’m Bella Swan, uh- Isabella for long and I’m a bit confused, I mean I didn’t do anything to him and he’s just kinda glaring at me and flaring his nostrils, I-uh-” She stumbled through her words in a way Astra found endearing, though she knew that with a little coaxing, this tiny baby caterpillar could flourish into the beautiful butterfly Astra knew she truly was.

 

Bella had the kind of features that Astra found herself envying, she was perfectly normal looking, with thin lips and long hair, with chocolate brown eyes that swam with more emotions than Astra thought possible. Astra glanced briefly towards the board, Mr Molina was gesturing aggressively and though Astra enjoyed biology, she definitely did not enjoy his teaching methods. Bella had slowly begun to open her posture up again, her shoulders relaxing slightly and she had turned so she was facing Astra more so than she was facing the board.

 

“Ignore him. The Cullens act like they’re some sort of gothic cult and Edward’s the only single one so he probably had to self-sacrifice last night. I wouldn’t think too much into it, he’s only one of the many people you will never speak to ever again after graduation,” Bella chuckled softly at her statement, a smile flickering over her lips and Astra watched as she glanced one last time at Edward for focusing her entire gaze on Astra.

 

“Why’d you offer to switch, you didn’t have to and though I’m grateful, what do you get from switching with Moody McMood up there?” Bella asked and Astra barked a laugh at her nickname, garnering several sharp looks from classmates and Mr Molina, who mimed putting the evil eye on Astra, to which she pouted before she lowered her voice to murmur back to Bella.

 

“I kinda felt sorry for you, which is unusual for me, but once I have a feeling about somebody, I tend to go with it. Plus Cullen over there doesn’t usually seem so opinionated, the whole lot of them are kinda passive observers and I do wanna find out just what you’ve done to get his knickers in a knot. You also seem kinda cool and once we peel those angst layers back, I think you’re going to find that you and I aren’t that different,” Astra steepled her hands, tossing Bella a glittering smile, which the other girl slowly returned. It was progress and Astra could see she was pushing Bella quite far out of her comfort zone.

 

“I honestly don’t know what to think really, I mean it was really nice of you but him being, however, he was, was so startling. I mean, I wasn’t really expecting anyone to take to me immediately, I mean there was this weir- nice guy Eric and this other guy, Mike and a girl named Jessica- she was nice but wow she could talk your ear off if you let her go, I sat with them at lunch which I guess was nice of them to offer, but I kinda felt out of place, and he’s not really helping, y’know?” Astra snorted, glancing at the slides they were now supposed to be sorting through, Mr Molina was nearing their table and she knew he’d have something clever to say, she was notorious for not paying attention but still doing well on her finals, which she knew bothered him. She nudged the slides Bella’s way, the other girl realising what she was indicating and quickly slipping the slide beneath the microscope, peering into the eyepiece as Molina sidled past, clicking his tongue thoughtfully as he did.

 

When the final bell rang, Astra nearly missed Edward’s exit he left so fast, her puzzled eyes finding Bella’s and she could see the hurt residing within them. Pity, heavier than before, swelled within her and Astra gave Bella a weak smile before she gathered her books, waiting as Bella did the same and they exited the biology classroom side by side, Bella occasionally bumping Astra’s shoulder as they did.

 

Bella seemed intent on the office and with a muted sigh, Astra agreed to accompany her, only because she had a feeling the other girl would probably somehow get lost, however when they reached the administration, Astra caught sight Edward leaning his tall frame half over the desk in a seductive manoeuvre and when she managed to catch his words, she stilled, stopping dead and halting Bella by default. Edward’s head jerked up, his plea cut off as he caught sight of Bella and Astra, eyes narrowing in on the new girl and Astra’s brows wrinkled, his eyes were nearly black as they turned their hateful gaze on Bella, who looked as though she wanted to be anywhere else all of a sudden.

 

“I guess I’ll just have to put up with it,” Edward near spat, jerking his bag up and spinning on his heel dramatically, striding past the two girls, his shoulder would have missed Astra barely if she hadn’t overbalanced, slamming her shoulder into his with a vengeance. She nearly swore aloud as he practically toppled her with the force of his motion, Bella’s hand grappling for her own the only thing keeping her righted as she spun, hurling vicious words after Edward’s fast retreating back. Bella watched him go, her mouth downturned and her face softening as Astra grimaced though she wouldn’t complain in front of Bella, she would wait for the silence of her room before she screamed.

 

Bella practically shadowed her back to the carpark, she didn’t try to ask if Astra was okay after the first time, in which Astra had snapped back that she was fine, though she wasn’t she was far from fine. Her shoulder was already aching and she knew that bruising would be visible by the time she got home and Astra’s eyes were burning. Tears weren’t the cause, no, the rage bubbling within her was clawing to escape and she forced it down again, hiding it as Bella hurried to keep up with her brisk pace before she slowed, lingering by a beat-up Chevy and Astra realised she’d assumed she’d been giving Bella a ride home in her Mazda, which sat several more spaces down.

 

“This is me,” Bella murmured, ducking her head again and Astra stifled an eye-roll, Bella’s shyness made her feel awkward and overbearing. She wondered if it was something Bella was unaware of but decided that she was too obviously uncomfortable to not be aware of how shy she came across.

 

“Where’d you get a car so quickly? Didn’t you just arrive here from AZ?” Astra asked, a blatant attempt to keep Bella from feeling sorry for herself.

 

“Oh, my dad got his friend’s son to fix it up for me. He’s an old family friend from La Push and I think we grew up together, yeah the Chevy goes alright but it’s like, nearing 60 years old I think,” She chuckled and Astra snickered quietly, the car looked like it had seen better days. She pulled Bella into a hug then, ignoring the pain that jerked up her arm before she released Bella, a smile glancing across her features.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow if your car doesn’t collapse on the way home. I put my number in your phone during bio, so if you have questions, I don’t have plans, oh and drive safe, these roads are getting slippery,” Astra sent Bella another glittering smile before she took off, moving briskly towards her car and after hurling her bag into the back seat, she collapsed into the driver’s seat with a snarled groan. God, her shoulder was actually on fire and she needed some Advil, stat. Her eyes flicked up, eyeing the rearview as Bella peeled out behind her before with a heavy sigh, Astra moved to follow suit.


	2. Edward I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward decides to apologise and saves a new friend(or two).

The day Edward returned to Forks High was a day he both anticipated and slightly dreaded. Dreaded, because he knew the wrath of Astraea Toulouse still burned. Jasper, who sat near him during first period, had a mind full of emotions that almost worried Edward. Pain, however, seemed to by the thing that trumped all other feeling and for that, unease spread through him. He hadn’t intended to hurt her as badly as he had, he clearly hadn’t anticipated the force she had put into her shoulder bump. He had heard rather than felt the tendons ripping and the slew of furious words that had followed his exit had almost made him wince. 

 

Her thoughts, as they had always been, were almost muted, he could hear them but he had to focus, however that was not what had been weighing his mind. It was that he could not hear the new girl, with her chocolate eyes and nervous fidgeting persona and to top it all off, her blood was potent, sweet and the moment she’d walked into biology, he’d practically felt his mouth watering. He caught sight of her at lunch, shadowing Astra, who seemed almost boisterous with Bella at her side and as he focused, he found he could detect the bandages hiding beneath what looked like the star football player’s letterman jacket. Bella, who had not introduced herself to him as of yet, but to Astra when they had been seated behind him, seemed almost an enigma, especially with her silence. Alice could sense her, Jasper could touch her feelings but to Edward’s increasing dilemma, her thoughts remained a mere echo. So far in his time as an immortal, there had been not one human or vampire who had been silent like she was, the very occasional few were muted like Astra but Alice had never been able to determine the tawny blonde’s future so Edward wondered if she was just one of those humans that were oddly remarkable. They were few and far between but he knew they were there, the chances of having two of them in the same place made him uneasy again though he didn’t voice this to his family as he sat down in his usual seat, surveying the room briefly. Rosalie’s nostrils have flared twice by the time he realises she’s speaking to him in an urgent tone but though he turns to give her attention, his thoughts linger on the seemingly elusive Bella Swan.

 

He reached biology before most of the other students had begun to trickle in, placing himself in his usual seat, knowing it would probably piss Astra off more but he can deal with her fury. When the two girls enter, as predicted Astra’s eyes slit and almost before he can register, she’s hurling a green apple at him. He catches it, smirking faintly and hoping she doesn’t notice the darkness that now bruises the apple. She takes the seat in front of him with a final glower, she doesn’t fear Molina but she’s not wanting to make a scene, he detects because she knows that Bella would hate it. Bella, whose slunk into the seat beside him, is quiet and still beside him. He half turns, opening his posture up in an attempt to appear more welcoming than he knows he does.

 

“Hey, sorry I didn’t introduce myself last week. I had a lot going on and I’m sorry that you and Astra copped the brunt of it, I’m Edward Cullen,” He heard Astra growl under her breath that she had yet to hear an apology and reaches out to grasp her good arm, making her flinch backwards, vulnerability lingering in her eyes and he holds his hands up patiently. Rosalie had mentioned she disliked the cold more so than a majority of the humans scattering the school and indeed the town, she always seemed more rugged up then she truly needed to be. 

 

“I am really sorry Astra, it was an accident and I’m sorry it hurt you as much as it did. It wasn’t my intention, I could ask my father to look at it if you were comfortable with that,” The word daddy slips through her mind, loud enough for him to catch and he almost breaks into a smile before she nods, almost harshly, drawing herself up and with a sighing breath, she seems to exhale her anger.

 

“I’m sorry for calling you all the names I called you though most of them I stand by as being valid. And I understand that we all have bad days, its just usually a lot nicer for everyone if you keep it self-contained. And yeah, if my shoulder continues to play up, maybe I will take up your offer with Doctor Cullen, though he’s probably too busy with actual patients,” Astra spoke with a warmth that Edward had never had directed at him from her before and he caught the thought that she was trying, really trying to be genuinely friendly. She knew that he didn’t often branch out as he was doing now and that though she wasn’t as enthralled with him as the rest of the female population was, she was curious. Her curiosity he’d have to watch out for because for now, it was harmless but he knew human curiosity knew little in terms of boundaries. 

 

“You’re Bella, right? Everyone was talking about you before and after you arrived. Our fathers know each other, Carlisle is a doctor at the hospital and he and Charlie see enough of each other I believe,” He hides a smirk that goes unseen by Bella but he wonders if Astra catches it before she turns back to the front, her back a less formidable force than it usually feels. Astra is one of the few humans within Forks that Edward found interesting; she was whip-smart and calculating, making her quite curious to engage in conversation with because even with his abilities, her thoughts were never truly clear. He had at times wondered if she had undiagnosed ADHD but later had ruled it down to the fact that he simply could not catch her thoughts for how fast they were.

“Huh, I didn’t realise I was that much of a celebrity here,” Bella spoke with a dryness that rivalled the snark Edward found he received predominantly from Astra and though he did not outwardly react, a grin was still building. Not only did she smell intoxicating but she had a personality, unlike several girls he could name but would rather not. Turning his eyes down to the slides they were identifying, though he already knew what they all were, he motioned for her to begin and with a quiet huff, she investigated the first. 

 

“Prophase,” Bella speaks almost curtly, daring him to argue with her as he glances at it briefly, enough to satisfy her and to acknowledge that she was indeed correct. He nodded, choosing to remain silent and in that silence, he realised how much it frustrated him that he couldn’t hear her thoughts. She was almost unpredictable in that and it irked him still.

 

“Your eyes aren’t black anymore.” Her statement garnered his full attention, his non-existent breath halting in his throat as he stared into her inquisitive eyes.

 

“It’s probably just the fluorescents, y’know, they’re bright enough to blind you and I’m pretty sure they mess with colours too,” His excuse sounds feeble, though Bella relaxes a tad, happy enough to go with his excuse rather than to think of something crazy that would be too close to the truth.

 

Throughout the remainder of the lesson, the two of them traded banter, Bella he discovered, disliked the rain almost as much Astra did and complained viciously about the weather, though Edward had never seen anything wrong with the rain, he, of course, understood where both girls were coming from. He liked the cold weather, naturally but he knew Rosalie often resented the heavy clouds that barely let up and often said clouds brought with them moods of their own. By the end of class, when the bell rang its aggressive toll, he walked Bella out into the hallway, Astra dancing ahead with people lingering around her and Bella and Edward watched, smiles dousing both of their faces before Bella turns her smile briefly on Edward.

 

“It was nice to find out you’re not a complete asshole. I guess I’ll see you next class,” Bella wiggles her fingers in a wave, departing before he can reply but Edward makes sure his warm smile reaches her, as he watches her vanish amongst the hordes of students bustling out. He’s aware of Astra’s gaze for the briefest of seconds before she too is swallowed into the crowd and Edward heads out into the brisk cold, sensing his siblings before he can catch a glimpse of them. 

 

Rosalie’s eyes linger on Astra’s as she darts across the car park to wrap Bella in a hug, the stiffness in her right arm clear and it makes distaste prickle through Edward but he cannot do anything now. Alice waves him over and Emmett bounds up, fist bumping him squarely before it happens. The squealing of tires is what alerts him, but not everyone else seems to hear them as acutely as Edward of course, and the van is plunging towards the girls his eyes just left. Edward didn’t think, he’s already moving, faster than the van and faster than Astra’s reaction time as he sees her begin to turn and move, tugging Bella with her but neither girl is going to be fast enough. Astra’s out of the way by the time he reaches Bella and the van is bearing down on top of her but he’s there and with a crunch, Edward is shoving the van backwards and away as lightly as he can, aware that they’re in a crowded parking lot and he’s risking a lot, even doing this. 

 

There’s a heavy thud as the van’s rear hits the car Astra has rolled beneath and he hears a scream building in her chest, but both girls are safe. Bella looks startled, her face drained of colour and Astra’s hands are shaking as she stands, her mouth open but nothing is coming out. Students flood them, people helping Astra to her feet and a shaken guy, Tyler Crowley stumbles from the van, more students moving to his side to help him. Astra is the worse off of the two, deep cuts slashing through her jeans and he can smell the blood soaking her palms. Faintly, he’s aware that something is very wrong with her shoulder now but he’s too distracted by her blood and Rosalie’s furiously loud thoughts, all of his siblings are watching with something like disapproval though he can see the relief on Rose’s face as she sees that Astra is mostly unharmed. 

 

The softness Rose has for the human had always baffled his family but Edward knew it had to do with the very obvious crush Astra had had on Rosalie when they’d first moved to Forks and the genuine friendliness Astra had always extended to the Cullens, though she wasn’t the sweetest of people, she’d never been like some of the people that frequented Forks High.

 

“What the hell was that?” Mike Newton is there, with a few of the others who Bella had sat with her first day, Jessica, Angela and Eric and the rest of those around them are murmuring the same. Astra looks shaken as she leans heavily against the car and Bella, grasping the back of her truck, stares at Edward with something in her eyes that he can’t read but it makes something in him begin to unfurl, his strange warmth towards Bella was steadily blooming and he knew nothing good could come of this.


	3. Bella I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bella hates hospitals and introduces her newest best friend to her oldest.

Bella thoroughly disliked hospitals and was all too grateful to be released from the E.R, practically smuggled out by a very distraught Charlie, who’s sharp words to Tyler still lingered in the back of her mind. Bella had been the lucky one, Astra’s shoulder had been dislocated though Carlisle Cullen, Edward’s father, had said there had been past damage done to it. Astra’s eyes had gone to slits and Bella had giggled quietly, to Astra’s chagrin but the two girls had hugged it out before Bella had left. Astra had waved Bella out before she had held out her hands to continue being bandaged and Bella pitied her, Astra looked ready to curl up and sleep. Bella herself wanted to do just that and so she nearly let Charlie guide her fully out of the hospital without stopping but before they could reach the exit, she spotted Edward, well his back and in front of him, the slightly vicious blonde sister that Astra called Rosie.

 

Bringing herself to an entire halt, Bella put the brakes on Charlie as well, he who looked rather defeated as he tracked her gaze. It was known to him that Doctor Cullen’s son had rescued Bella and to less extent, Astra and with a quiet, Charlie-like huff, he released his vice grip on her arm and ambled towards the exit, citing he’d see her in the car. The blonde, upon catching sight of Bella, seemingly fled back down the corridor and Bella tried to hide the disconcerted expression that scrawled itself across her face. Astra had warned her that Rosalie wasn’t the most friendly person and though it had never bothered Bella before, the way Rosalie vanished sent off Kill Bill sirens in Bella’s head.

 

“You stopped the van with your bare hands- and before you deny it, Astra saw it too. So you can’t call me crazy. You were across the lot and then the van, as soon as it went outta control, there you were. It's not possible, what either of us saw, I wanna know how,” Bella could hear the slight strain to her voice as it rose, though Edward’s face barely twitched at her accusations.

 

“Astra was under a car and took a bigger knock to her head than you should have, but now I’m not so sure-” Bella waved his words away. She remembered what she saw and when Astra had confirmed that they had indeed seen the same turn of events, that curiosity that Bella often labelled as dangerous had begun to grow wings.

 

“I won’t tell anyone, neither will Astra. But I want the truth,” Edward scoffed at her words but Bella stood her ground, folding her arms across her chest as she refused to let him intimidate her into silence.

 

“I know what I saw. And I will find out how you did it, one way or another,” With that, Bella turned on her heel, aware of his gaze as she retreated after Charlie, leaving Edward standing silently in the hallway. She didn’t look back.

 

Over the weeks that came, Bella found that Edward often tried to both convince her that she hadn’t seen what she knew she’d seen and that it was better if the two of them weren’t friends. Astra told Bella repeatedly to leave the matter be, after the accident she’d retracted slightly, it wasn’t that she was any less vibrant, Bella found that she wasn’t as sharp. She’d softened in the slightest of ways and though Bella didn’t mind it, she often spent nights wondering how much the accident had really affected Astra. They didn’t talk about it much, Astra got closed up about it and her fingers often ghosted to her right shoulder when she thought Bella wasn’t watching.

 

She did it on the way to La Push beach one afternoon, Bella had never been and Angela, Mike, Jess and Eric were all heading up there after school. Bella had actually asked Edward rather awkwardly over a lunch they had shared, something Astra had just been teasing her over before they’d lapsed into a quiet silence, only the radio breaking said silence with its soft chatter. Astra parked the Mazda, retrieving her gear from the backseat as Bella stepped out of the car, eyes sweeping the beach with a nostalgic fondness before she hurried after Astra, who had already begun her break for the van in which Angela was already curled into. Jess, Mike and Erik were all suiting up and Astra was quick to follow suit, revealing a flat pale stomach and slender limbs that Bella envied briefly before she realised she was staring.

 

Averting her eyes, Angela winked at Bella, motioning to her to sit down as the other four moved to head out into the surf. Bella tugged a blanket around her shoulders, she didn’t know how Astra did it, it was freezing and she knew the water would be even worse. She didn’t mind Angela’s company either, she was easier to deal with than Jessica, who was currently flinging water in Astra’s direction as the other girl swore, Bella knew she couldn’t retaliate because of her bad arm.

 

“Bella! Hey!” The familiar rumble caught her attention, her eyes snapping sideways to where Jacob Black and a bunch of other Quileutes were nearing, Jake at the front with a bright smile adorning his lips. Angela made eye contact with Bella briefly, a suggestive smile ghosting over her face before Bella stood, brushing past her to hook her arms around Jake’s neck. He seemed to have grown even taller since she’d last seen him a few days ago, though he still smelled faintly of pine trees and of the earth after it rained. She released him with a bright grin and turned said grin on the Quileutes behind him.

 

“Jacob, what are you doing around here?” Stupid question really, she knew he lived on the Reservation and this was technically their beach. Jake shrugged to her question, nodding his head vaguely at the group.

 

“Y’know technically this our Rez, so I think it’s me who should be asking you pale faces what you’re doing here,” He joked, knocking Bella’s shoulder gently with his own and she scoffed but didn’t reply, instead gazing out to where Astra appeared to be showing Eric and Mike how it was done. The group followed her gaze, Astra was impossible to miss and as she emerged from the churning water with a triumphant cry, still attached to her board, hair soaked and even from up the beach, Bella could see the happiness staining her face.

 

“Who is that?” One of the boys let out a low whistle and Bella eyed them briefly before she glanced back out towards Astra, who appeared to be now sitting on her board cross-legged, watching Mike fumble with his board.

 

“That’s Astraea Toulouse. She’s one of the few people in Forks whose ever gonna get anywhere other than here,” Bella didn’t miss the interest that flared in Jacob’s eyes at Angela’s words. She wondered if they’d like each other, Astra had such a personality but at the same time, so did Jacob and though those personalities seemed polarising separately; together, Bella wondered. 

“I’m gonna see if they want towels down there, her date bailed so do you mind keeping Bella company for a moment?” Angela asked Jacob sweetly, already moving, as though she sensed the building tension, or was it unease? Either way, Angela didn’t wait for a reply, as she bustled down towards where the waves foamed against the sand. Bella caught Jacob’s look and tightened her shoulders, she didn’t need to explain herself to him, did she?

 

“Edward Cullen, no one invites him anywhere and I was tryna be nice…” She said, feeling a little pathetic. Jacob’s face tightened slightly, the group around him all reacting similarly and Bella wondered what exactly Edward had done to piss this whole group off.

 

“Yeah, the Cullens don’t come down here, they’re not welcome and they know it,” The tallest of them spoke with an almost sharpness entering his tone and Bella wanted to raise her eyebrows but was unsure of how it would sit with the group.

 

“Bella! You missed it! Eric stacked it so bad and now Ange can’t stop laughing, I can’t believe you didn’t see it!” Astra’s voice cut through the sudden uncomfortable silence and Bella turned towards the sound of her voice. Astra’s hair was a tumble of liquid burnished gold, slick with salt water and sticking to her neck, though somehow she still looked stunning. Her wetsuit was rolled down around her torso as she jogged up, towel flung haphazardly around her shoulders and board propped in her good arm. She shook wet hair all over Bella, who squawked in outrage and shied away from, Astra’s peals of almost evil laughter making Bella splutter with laughter. 

 

It was then that Astra seemed to catch sight of the group of Quileute guys and her eyes flashed cautiously to Bella, who realised Astra had no idea who any of these people were.

 

“Uh, Astra, this is Jacob Black and uh- his friends?” Astra blinked before with a furrow of her eyebrows, she seemed to realise who Jacob was.

 

“Oh the one that fixed Bella’s car. Nice to finally meet you, Bella’s told me good things,” Jacob, for his part, looked slightly dazzled by Astra and Bella hid a smile, she wondered vaguely if Astra realised her impact, especially on guys. 

 

“If you two wanna join us later, we’re having a bonfire up by Second Beach and you two are welcome, especially if you’re the chief’s daughter like I think you are,” The tall guy drawled out and Bella, with a swift glance to Astra, nodded quickly, the invite somewhat a surprise as Jacob had turned with a startled look towards the tall guy but didn’t protest. 

 

“Sure, we’ll be there. Do we need to bring anything?” Bella asked, Astra had taken to scrubbing the towel viciously through her hair in an attempt to quick dry it. 

 

“Just yourselves and maybe a few blankets, it gets pretty nippy without the tree cover. We should be starting about 8, the elders are coming down but any friend of Jacob is a friend of ours,” His eyes lingered on Astra briefly, a look that went unnoticed as she was eyeing off Jacob beneath her towel and Bella held a laugh back, Astra really had no idea. Or maybe she did, and she just didn’t care. Probably the latter, if Bella was being honest but she was glad for the invite, the bonfire sounded a lot more fun than what Jess and Eric had planned and Astra seemed too preoccupied with Jake to disagree.

 

The boys sauntered off soon after, lingering glances on both girls and Astra, as soon as they were out of sight, whirled to stare at Bella with wide, glossy eyes. She was midway through changing beneath the towel Bella was grasping and for the first time since Bella had known her, she looked almost disorientated. Even after the van accident, Astra had seemed to have her wits about her but now, she seemed rather thrown.

 

“Bella, you did not tell me Jacob Black was a fucking Abercrombie + Fitch model look-alike. Holy shit, I nearly fell over when I realised he was your guy, he looks like some sort of Greek hero,” Astra gestured wildly and Bella rolled her eyes. Jake would always be a kid to her and watching Astra get so flustered about someone she’d grown up with amused her. 

 

“Well, you can go and sit near him tonight now. I don’t mind third wheeling,” Bella snickered and Astra made a comical face.

 

“Bella, babe, he seemed quite infatuated with you, not that you noticed,” There was a slight resentment in Astra’s voice that Bella tried to ignore. She and Astra had never run into trouble surrounding boys before, it seemed strange that Astra had even thought that from her interaction with Jacob but Bella pinned it down to Astra maybe being self-conscious. Which sounded strange, as Astra was Astra, but Bella guessed even the pretty ones struggled occasionally.

 

“Well, we’ll find out tonight then,” Bella caught the look that flitted over Astra’s face briefly, a mixture between longing and intrigue and decided they definitely had to go, even if it was just so she could see the Astra-Jacob dynamic play out.


	4. Jacob I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob can't get a special someone out of his head and Paul isn't helping.

No matter how fiercely he tried, Jacob could scarcely chase the golden girl, Astra from his mind as he helped Paul and Sam set up in advance of the bonfire. Quil and Embry were arguing over something though it did little to distract Jake, who Paul had begun to tease relentlessly. They’d all seen the way he’d looked at Bella’s friend and after Paul had extended an invite to tonight’s bonfire to them, Jake wasn’t sure if he was even still in reality. The cold weather was pouring in, making him shiver slightly beneath the scarf bundled around his neck and he watched Paul make a small dash towards the fire in an effort to escape the winds whipping at the trees. The elders had begun to filter in, Jake spotted his dad being wheeled down by Harry Clearwater and a smile broke over his face, jogging over to greet the two of them.

 

“Hey old man, looking rather spry tonight?” Jake teased and Billy made a face at him, Harry laughing softly at their interaction. His two kids, Leah, Sam’s girlfriend and skinny Seth were wandering over towards where Sam, Paul and Embry seemed to be setting up camp. Leah was tall, not as skinny as Sam, with a hardy look to her and she reminded Jake a lot of her mother, who was nearly twice as fierce. Jake glanced around, eyes roaming through the crowd till he spotted Sue Clearwater, she was laughing warmly with Leah’s cousin Emily, who was not a usual down her but it seemed her presence was very welcome. Nearly everyone had arrived, the last stragglers trickling in and then he saw her. She was spinning away from Bella, making her hair stream out and the plaid blanket around her shoulders fanned out like a cape and for a moment, she was a princess spinning through her castle and all he could do was watch.

 

Before Jake could do or say anything though, Paul was waving her and Bella over and the two, with a shared glanced moved to sit down on the log beside the older boy. Paul was in the process of shoving his hair back into a tight ponytail at the back of his neck and Astra must have made a comment because Paul spluttered with laughter a moment later, Bella too was smirking darkly, rolling her eyes as Astra giggled, the firelight catching the warmth on her face. Jake tried to ignore the sudden weight in the pit of his stomach, instead catching Bella’s eye and she gestured for him to come over, moving over so there was a spot free, which she patted. He slipped in beside her, feeling how warm she was bundled up beneath her blanket and grimaced. 

 

“Aren’t you overheating? You must be boiling with all those layers on!” Astra caught his words, her eyes flashing around with an indignant fire.

 

“It’s literally 40 degrees Jacob, we can’t all be walking heaters,” Her teasing wink detracted from the sharpness of her tone and as if to prove her point, another flush of freezing wind whipped past their cheeks and Astra shivered. Paul, noticing that, wrapped a muscled arm around her shoulders loosely and Astra groaned quietly in relief, practically snuggling in closer to Paul’s much larger body, making him chuckle. 

 

Bella, who had been studying Jacob’s face quietly, abruptly looked away as Jake’s eyes flashed to her, she focused her gaze back on the bonfire and Jake was again taken aback by how pretty she was. He remembered the Bella he had grown up with as well as he could. She still had those delicate, sharp features, with high cheekbones and slim bones and chocolate brown eyes that were warm with firelight and dancing as the flames were. Jake and her sat shoulder to shoulder silently for a moment, waiting for the first of the elders to begin the stories that were old to Jacob, but probably new to Bella and to Astra. It was Billy, rolling forward on his chair, that made a hush fall over those gathered. Paul nudged Astra gently, saying something quietly in her ear and Jacob saw her glance towards him, moss coloured eyes calculating and curious.

 

“Tonight, as we often do on a full moon, I am telling the story of our tribe, the becoming of the Spirit Warriors and the stories of the Cold Ones. Tonight, we have several new faces, some which are paler than normal but just as welcome, as long as they bring an open mind and heart,” Paul was laughing quietly again at something Astra was saying and Jacob wanted to switch places with Bella, so he could listen to her teasing and as well to Bella. He felt torn, as though between the two girls, his stomach feeling quite unsettled but pushing this from his mind, he tried to focus on his father and allow himself to be swept into the stories he so loved.

 

“As we all know, when the Quileute tribe settled in La Push, they became fishermen and shipbuilders, aided by the forests and surrounding lakes and oceans. As time passed, other tribes and peoples coveted their lands and moved against them for it though the tribe was small and could not defend themselves, so they took to their ships and left the land. At sea, Kaheleha used the magic in their blood to defend it,” Billy, ever adept to storytelling, had brought his initially booming rumble to a quiet murmur, bringing everyone closer as they leaned to listen, Bella resting slightly on Jacob with a gentle weight he was decidedly aware of.

 

“He was the first Spirit Chief in Quileute history. He and all the men left the ships in spirit only, using the original power of Quileute Astral Projection, leaving their bodies behind under the care of the women. Though they could not physically hurt the enemy, the warriors had other ways. They blew fierce winds into enemy camps; they could make great screaming in the wind and could manipulate animals to do their bidding. Animals were the only ones that could see them and help. The invading tribe had packs of thick-furred dogs to pull their sledges in the north, and which were set against them. Bats were brought out of the cliff caverns. As a result, the dogs and bats won and the survivors of the invaders scattered thinking the harbour cursed. The Quileutes released the dogs, who ran wild, and returned to their bodies victorious,” Bella glanced questioningly towards Jacob and he bent close to her, awaiting a question but she quickly shook her head, signalling that she’d wait to pester him till after Billy had finished.

 

“Generations passed and the last of the great Spirit Chiefs came to be. Taha Aki was a man of peace and was known for his wisdom. However, there was one man named Utlapa who believed that they should use their magic to expand their control over the Hohs and the Makahs, building an empire. When the spirit warriors left their bodies their minds were all connected with each other. Taha Aki did not like what Utlapa wanted and banned him from the tribe. Utlapa left and hid in the nearby forest,” Jacob’s chin had come to rest on his palm. This was the most detailed retelling that he could commit to memory, the tale always varied slightly when Billy told it, however, the body of the story and the message remained the same.

 

“Taha Aki was vigilant and protected his people even when there was no danger. Every so often, the Spirit Chief would leave the village to a sacred and secret place in the mountains. He would leave his body behind and searched the surrounding areas for any dangers or threats. One day, Utlapa followed Taha Aki planning to kill him, but as he waited for him to leave his body he hatched another plan. Utlapa left his body, took Taha Aki's body, and killed his own. Taha Aki knew immediately what was happening when Utlapa joined him in the spirit world. He raced back to his sacred place but was too late. He followed his body in his spirit self down to the tribe,” Jake wondered where these stories had stemmed from. It sounded, to be perfectly truthful, like he was referencing werewolves, the types in movies that turned on a full moon and were gigantic hairy men.

 

“For weeks he watched with despair as Utlapa made sure everyone believed he was Taha Aki. Then Utlapa's first edict came: no warrior was to enter the spirit world because he had a vision of danger, but in truth, he was afraid of Taha Aki. Utlapa took liberties with the tribe that no one ever dreamed of. He took a second and a third wife, even though Taha Aki's wife still lived. Eventually, Taha Aki brought a great wolf down the mountains to kill Utlapa and free the tribe, but Utlapa only hid from it behind his warriors. The wolf ended up killing a young man, making Taha Aki's grief greater,” There was utter silence around the campsite, everyone’s eyes remained unmoving, stuck on Billy’s illuminated face, his eyes burned golden in the firelight.

 

“Taha Aki had been away from his body long enough to be in agony. He felt doomed of never being ever to cross the line between life and death. The great wolf followed him through the forest and Taha Aki felt jealous of the animal; at least it had a body and a life. At that moment the Spirit Chief had an idea that changed the future of the Quileutes. He asked the animal if he could share his body with him and the wolf complied. As a single being, the wolf and the man went to the village. The people feared the wolf, shouting for the warriors' help. The warriors came with spears in their hands, but they stopped in surprise of what the wolf was doing: the wolf was retreating from the warriors and trying to yelp the songs of their people. The warriors realized what it was doing and could only think that it was being influenced by a spirit,” Quiet murmurs began at his words and Jake found Bella had become restless, shifting in her seat and wringing her hands slightly, though she seemed unaware she was doing as such.

 

“An old warrior, Yut, disobeyed the orders of the false chief and left his body. Yut gathered the truth in an instant and welcomed Taha Aki. Almost instantly, Utlapa realized what had happened and raced towards Yut's body with his knife. The other warriors were confused. Yut went back into his body but could not fight Utlapa off before warning the others, as he was too old. Taha Aki watched as Yut's spirit left the world and he returned to the wolf's body feeling a great rage. The wolf shuddered and transformed into a man before the eyes of the warriors. The man did not look like Taha Aki's body, but like his spirit self, which the warriors recognized instantly. Utlapa tried to run but Taha Aki had the strength of the wolf and killed him. Upon realization of what had happened, everything returned to normal. The only change he kept in place was the forbidding of spirit travel. From then on he was known as the Great Wolf or the Spirit Man. He led the tribe for many years because he did not age. He fathered many sons, who in time found that they too could turn into wolves on reaching manhood. However, they were all different because the wolf form reflected the spirit of the man. Some became warriors like Taha Aki and did not age, others did not like to transform, and started to age. After Taha Aki gave up his spirit self, trouble began in the North with the Makahs. Several young women had disappeared and they believed the neighboring wolves were to blame. However, all the wolves knew it was none of them because their minds were still connected with each other. Taha Aki did not want a war, especially since he could not lead his people any longer. He gave his eldest son, Taha Wi, the responsibility of finding who was to blame. Taha Wi led five wolves in search through mountains looking for evidence but they only found a strange, sweet scent. They followed it and the journey took them so far north that Taha Wi sent the two younger brothers back to inform the chief. Taha Wi and the other two never returned,” Once he mentioned the Spirit Warriors by name, the murmurs grew louder until several hisses drove them to silence.

 

“A year later, two Makah maidens were taken from their homes on the same night and the Makahs called upon the wolves. The Quileutes found the same sweet scent and went on the hunt once more. Only one of them returned. Yaha Uta, the eldest son of Taha Aki's third wife, returned carrying strange cold pieces of a corpse. He described what had happened to his brothers. One of them underestimated the strength of the creature and became a victim. Yaha Uta and his other brother were more careful but the creature matched their movements and got his hands on one of them. Yaha Uta found an opening on the creature's throat and began tearing at him desperately trying to save his brother. It was too late but he succeeded in ripping his enemy apart. Yaha Uta laid the remains of the creature on the ground to be examined. Suddenly the corpse began to attach itself together and so the elders set fire to it. They spread the ashes far and wide, except a small bag which Taha Aki wore around his neck to be warned if the creature ever decided to get himself together again. The creature was called the Cold One and the Blood Drinker. Then came the Cold Woman, its mate. She was the most beautiful creature to be seen. An elder who warned the people was the first to die at the mercy of the woman. She then proceeded to the other people until Yaha Uta arrived, followed by Taha Aki, his third wife, and the elders. When Yaha Uta was defeated, Taha Aki turned into an old gray wolf with the strength given by his anger alone. He began fighting the Cold Woman, when his third wife came to a conclusion,” A slight intake of breath rippled through everyone intently listening, it was as though it was the first time they’d heard it all over again. 

 

“She had just seen her son killed and now her husband ran a terrible danger, along with the rest of her sons and tribe. She grabbed a knife from one of her sons, ran towards the blood drinker and stabbed herself in the heart. The Cold Woman could not turn away from the fresh blood and gave in to the thirst. Taha Aki bit her throat and finished her off, along with two of his sons who felt such rage at seeing their mother dead that they turned into wolves. After that, Taha Aki never returned to his human self, staying to protect his wife's body and leaving to the forest never to return to the tribe,” Billy’s voice had begun to drift slightly and Jake knew that the story was almost done, something that almost came as a relief as tiredness had swept like a wave over the campsite, yawns and stretches were spread like wildfire and Jake was fighting to keep himself from listing onto Bella as his eyes tried to close themselves.

 

“The Third Wife was no magical being, no special powers, but one… Courage. The Third Wife's sacrifice distracted the Cold Woman, long enough for Taha Aki to destroy her. She saved the tribe. Over time, our enemies have disappeared. But one remains… The Cold Ones. Our magic awakens when they near. And we sense it now, we feel the threat in our blood. Something terrible is coming. And we must all be ready. All of us,” The silence becomes thick enough that for a moment, Jacob can almost feel its very weight. His father, in the near dying light, looks very old and frail, but at the same time, Jake could see a strength burning within him. 

 

In the fading golden light, Jacob studied those around him. Bella was a bright silver, a soft sweet breeze, the eye of the hurricane and the calm before the storm, but nothing about Astra was calm. She was lightning and thunder all at once, a hurricane and a rainstorm, yet she was also the rainbow around the corner. Paul on her other side was almost as bright, though he was deeper and more full with colour, a wildfire, controlled for now but if the wind changed, then you’d run. Astra must have felt his gaze, because her eyes wandered to him and when their eyes locked, she smiled with a startling warmth. They held that for a moment, Jake’s mouth cracking into a gentle smile in return, before Paul said something low in her ear and her focus drifted from Jake, dropping his gaze with a gentle nod as she let Paul wrap an arm around her, and he guided her up to her feet. Bella turned her face up to Jacob, a sweet smile decorating her face as she leaned into Jacob with a warmth that, though still inferior to his own, he could feel it radiating against him. And whilst the others moved around, getting to their feet, stretching limbs towards the stars, Jacob and Bella watched as the fire became nothing more than dark amber beads amongst ashes and blackened branches still too green to properly burn.


	5. Astra II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astra has anxiety and is starting to like Jacob.

For the first time in the last weeks since the accident, Astra woke from her dreams without the lingering sense of terror that seemed to shadow her wherever she went. She had been initially unsure of where the fear was stemming from, but it had ties to whatever happened between Tyler’s van slamming into the car above her and Edward somehow stopping it. She remembered his cold hands as well as Doctor Cullen’s and the cold that had felt like it would seep into her veins that had wormed its way into her bones. 

 

The story of the Cold Ones had remained with her, though it had been two weeks since the bonfire, she remembered the haunted way Jacob Black’s father had told that story, even the way he ended it, she could almost repeat it word for word though she didn’t remember listening so intently. She remembered being distracted by Paul’s hands, by the warmth of his body beside her own and the way he smelled like Christmas trees and something else that she couldn’t quite place. There was something about Paul that drew her in like a whirlpool but Astra knew better than to let herself be swept up in him. She wasn’t blind. She saw the way Jacob looked at her and something in her twisted at the idea of hurting either boy, but she wasn’t either of theirs yet and owed them nothing. Bella, who she’d ended up venting to, had been quite supportive, assuring Astra that she could make her own choices and she didn’t need to be guided, or in fact, listen to the feelings of other people and let them shape the way she grew. Bella had been quite open to speaking to Astra about her past relationships and the blooming relationship between her and Edward, though, upon Astra’s startled look, she’d assured Astra that she wasn’t serious about anything. It was refreshing to hear Bella’s outlook in all honesty, as sometimes Astra found she came off as a little shallow but once Astra got her talking, she found still waters hid great depths.

 

“I have this dream that I’ve been envisioning for a while. Kinda like a sixth sense of something, but I know where I’m supposed to be, who I’m supposed to be with and what I’m going to do with my life. I know that sounds stupid. But I- I just want everything to go the way I feel it will and everything in me screams that Edward isn’t it. He’s gorgeous, yeah, I’m not blind but there’s something about him that I find unsettling, there’s a hunger that isn’t predominantly sexual or anything, but it’s like he’s a predator. I’m not his prey as such, but I get like, ‘wolf dressed in sheepskin’ vibes. You feel?” Astra, mid-chuckle about the wolf comment, snorted in response, causing a flush to warm Bella’s cheeks and for a good minute, the two girls laughed.

“For serious though. Jacob could not stop staring at you at the bonfire. He used to look at me that way, I know what that look means,” Astra slipped her chin into her palm, her eyes flashing briefly to Bella’s face before she concocted a reply. Bella seemed earnest and truthful and Astra wondered if it was in haste to get Jacob off her own back, however, there was a genuine warmth to Bella that encouraged Astra to believe that she was simply trying to help Astra out and play matchmaker. Jacob was cute, beautiful even, with those model features and that sleek mane of hair, Astra wondered if he was fully aware of how gorgeous he was. She knew Paul was definitely aware of how beautiful his own features were but seemed unaware by how he affected people with said beauty. He had a temperament that Astra found intriguing and compatible, he made her laugh and his presence had been a relief from the cold shadows that haunted her consciousness. She’d never felt like that around someone and in the time following the accident, rarely had the ice gnawing at her bones been pushed back, let alone as much as it had vanished around Paul. He was a comfort, gentle and kind and after the bonfire, he’d taken her home in his beat up old truck and they’d sat in his car for what could have been hours and talked. She felt like she’d known him forever and she knew that if she wanted it, and she asked him, them dating would be on the cards. 

 

But the thing was, Paul wasn’t for now, for when she was in high school and unsure of where her future was. Paul was a forever and Astra knew that and so though she’d keep him by her, just close enough that she could reach out of touch him if they needed each other, they both were free for now, free to make their own decisions whilst they were practically still kids. He was older than her, but Astra knew well that girls were the seemingly more mature of the sexes. She wanted to wait for her forever, she wanted these last few years of girlhood, she supposed that’s what it counted as, to be free, where she experimented and made stupid decisions and nothing affected her long term. Paul and her were the kind of thing that needed to happen once the dust settled, once Astra had been able to experience the world outside of Forks more and though she hadn’t spoken these thoughts to Paul, he’d talked of it of his own violation, not as she had but he too talked about his long term versus what he was doing now with his life. That was somewhat as a comfort to her, that he too was not entirely certain of what was to come and that eased a pressure she’d managed to build up within herself. 

 

The thought of Jacob intrigued her and being around him with Bella made her wonder about the possibility. However, Astra was cautious, especially with her heart. She could see the way Jacob looked at Bella, though now it was fleeting as it felt as though his eyes rarely left her when she entered a room but she could grasp how long he’d like her, even if it was just a child’s love. Even so, such an adoration, built up over so many years, should be more difficult to shake, no matter how alluring he seemed to find Astra. 

 

It was a cold day towards the end of January that things began to go wrong. Astra hadn’t noticed the bond between Bella and Edward growing stronger as she, as had most of her peers, been focusing on finals arriving in the following months, as well as prom being almost two months away. Astra was rather caught up with prom, as Alice and Rosalie had managed to cajole her into joining the prom committee and thus she’d had little time to think about her own details of the prom, instead just of the matters of the prom itself. Astra had happened to have ended up at the Cullen’s house late with Rosalie brainstorming when Edward had arrived home, giving Astra a taunting wave as he slipped past and then there was Bella, who gave Astra a flustered wave as she followed him. Astra’s surprise must have decorated her face because Rosalie made a soft noise of contempt.

 

“You must be really caught up in your own world not to have noticed those two. It’s like they can’t go a single day without seeing each other,” Rosalie mimed gagging and Astra chuckled at her words but her brain was spinning itself a spiderweb. Bella’s comment about Edward not being the ‘one’ but clearly, Bella had reevaluated that statement. Astra was happy for her, in a way, but the way they looked at each other, as Astra began to pay attention, screamed forever and always. Astra didn’t voice as such, however she became quickly aware of how much of a part Edward seemed to be now playing in Bella’s life as when the two of them spent time together, Edward was never far away. How Bella had gone from being so almost anti-Edward to barely being apart from him, deserted Astra. Astra herself had found that once Bella had found herself often too busy to make time for Astra, she offered a replacement in Jacob but though Astra liked the boy, Astra disliked how Bella was using him.

 

They were sitting together on his couch, his socks propped on the coffee table and her legs leaning on his as the TV blared some obnoxious show. She could hear Billy faintly, the creak of his wheels over the wooden floors but it was more comforting than anything else, she was all too used to a quiet house and the constant reminder of another’s presence was a gentle reminder of times past. Jake was warm, a warmth that Astra had missed and leaning against him, she could feel his strength. She could feel everything. Every time he laughed, his body shook and he seemed to wrap his arm tighter around her shoulders, drawing her closer still and she could hear his heartbeat quickening every time he did that. Astra also noticed the way he tensed when she moved, her hand ending up resting loosely on his knee and though she pretended that it was simply an accident, or that it didn’t mean anything, warmth began to flood through her stomach. For a while, it seemed as though they were so enthralled by each other and the TV, and neither of them noticed Billy wheeling past, a smug smile glancing his lips as he passed them.


	6. Edward II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James is a sneaky snake and Edward has some premonition about Astra.

Edward had never felt fear like how it drained through him the moment he caught the tracker vampire, James’ thoughts, the thrill of the hunt practically burning through any other restraint. The way his mate surged forward with him, whilst the dark skinned vampire, Laurent, resisted the pull, noting the fury burning in all of the Cullen’s eyes. He sang cautions to the other two, looking like he’d rather be anywhere but there at this current moment before, with a swift movement, James shifted back from his crouch and strode after Laurent, his hands tangled in his mate’s but his thoughts weren’t far from Bella until Edward could no longer hear him.

 

“We need to go,” Rosalie is the one barking the order, her eyes flashing around the field and Edward catches enough of her thoughts to know that it’s not only Bella and their family she’s worried about. He’s almost surprised to find that her mind had darted to the possibility that James will track her scent to other humans, namely Astra, who in turn had also spent time at the Cullen house, which indeed would make her a target. 

 

“Rose go, protect Astra. Keep in contact, we’ll keep you updated but stay low,” Edward finds himself nearly barking orders as he practically flings Bella into his Jeep. She is confused, terrified and he doesn’t even need her thoughts to know she’s panicking, especially after he just brought up her best friend’s name.

 

“Astra? What about Astra? Will she be in danger too?” Edward paused, thinking it through. Astra was likely to be with Jacob Black, outside of the treaty line and in an area that reeked of age old mutt, he guessed she’d be safer even more so than Bella so when he spoke, he knew he was telling Bella the whole truth and not holding something back to keep her from worrying.

 

“Astra should be fine, she’s with Jacob and her scent will be disguised by the different scent within that territory, don’t worry about her Bella. You can call her once we’re safe but we need to move. James is a tracker, you see. He too often hunts things for sport, I saw his mind. The hunt is his obsession, and my reaction set him off, I shouldn’t have reacted as I did, but I couldn’t contain it. We're a large coven of strong fighters all protecting one vulnerable human. I just made this his most exciting game ever,” Bella is silent for a moment before suddenly, realisation breaks over her face in a terrifying spiral. Her fear is tangible and he can see her knuckles whitening in her panic.

 

“What about my dad? What about Charlie? He’ll go to my house, that’s where my scent is strongest and god- if anything happened to Charlie I-” Her breathing and heart rate were picking up to astronomical levels and it was making Edward’s head spin slightly with the blood lust he was containing.

 

“Carlisle will get him out of here, you don’t need to worry about Charlie or Astra or anyone, you just need to stay concerned with staying alive,” Bella whirled around as something heavy thudded onto the back of the Jeep and Edward grit his teeth at Emmett’s idiocy, Bella was holding back a scream and her eyes were wide, like a frightened deer and her heart rate was at a record high.

 

“Don’t worry, it’s just Emmett. Alice and Jasper are in the car behind us. Carlisle and Esme have gone to get your father and they’re going to move him somewhere safe. Rosalie’s gone to Astra, she’ll check on her and probably bribe her into heading down to La Push to stay safe after Alice’s vision. We’re heading back to the house to switch cars, in a hope that confuses him slightly but it won’t stave him off for long,” Edward can feel her fear escalating and for a moment, she looks ready to pass out, her pale skin drenching even paler and she’s biting her lips again. He slips his palm into her clenched hands, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand in an attempt to bring her heart rate down but Bella barely glances at him, instead staring out the window like she’ll find answers within the shadowy trees.

 

The car practically screeches when Edward finally yanks the handbrake, putting it into neutral and then Emmett is opening the door and helping Bella out, and then Alice’s is embracing her tightly. Her thoughts are scattered, torn between her visions and there’s something else, something new that Edward’s never seen or felt before. Something new roams the woods, terrified and startled but the strangest thing is that Alice cannot see it fully, she can capture glimpses but this creature seems to be in her blind spot. Edward didn’t even know she had one that large, and suddenly, several people she normally had a clear view of were thrown in darkness. Jacob Black, Astra and parts of Bella and that terrified both Edward and Alice, as they hold each other’s gaze. Jasper is exuding calm in aid of Bella’s fluttering heart and soon, Edward can see it working, Bella seems to unstiffen and her dark eyes sweep the members of the coven that are with them.

 

“I’m so sorry, I’ve endangered you all-” Edward shook his head with a fierceness that almost startled himself, Emmett clapped Bella on the shoulder gently, a warm gesture. Alice and Jasper leaned onto each other, sharing a look and there’s a gentle warmth in both of their eyes.

 

“No one blames you Bella. Except maybe Rosalie, but she’s just angry, especially since her favourite human is possibly in danger. She’ll get over it, Astra’s safe and so is Charlie,” Alice’s voice is a sing-song and she seems startlingly calm, even for Alice. Edward wonders what she’s seen that he hasn’t been able to pick from her head and as he starts to look into it, he hears a new set of thoughts close by and before anything else can happen, Emmett was snarling furiously at Laurent, the dark-skinned vampire that had previously accompanied James and Victoria. He was alone however, the crimson red of his pupils very dark against the whites of his eyes and Edward placed himself between Bella and Laurent before he catches his thoughts, though that barely slows him. Though Laurent wants no part of this, he’s still a danger to Bella but he did come to warn them, which seemed almost odd considering the circumstances.

 

“I may not be part of James’ game but I came to let you know that he’ll strike where he knows it will hurt most. He was headed west last I saw him, intent on tracking your human’s scent after your blonde one,” Astra. That meant he followed Rosalie. Panic flared up again, this time warmer and harder to ignore as Edward’s eyes flew wildly to Emmett, who was already putting his phone to his ear, worry staining his usually unflappable features. They’d all worked out what this meant, Rosalie was alone with Astra and even if the creature Edward could sense in the woods could be any help, it would be far too last if they didn’t leave now. Something in him nagged at the idea that made Laurent was indeed part of the game, leading them down to La Push and over the treaty line, into Quileute territory but they had no other option at the moment. Astra had no part of this and the idea of harm coming to human who’d never been anything but warm to their family left an empty feeling in Edward’s stomach. Bella looked possibly green with horror at the realisation that the girl she called her best friend could be in harm’s way because of them. She sat down fast, eyes closing as she pummelled them with her fists and Alice moved to her side, helping her to her feet quickly and giving Bella a brief shake whilst she was at it.

 

“We need to go,” Alice said, looking haunted and Edward looked at her again. Alice’s visions circulated around Rosalie being ripped apart and Rosalie doing the ripping, often Alice’s visions had two different endings depending on contributing factors but Edward couldn’t see the difference between the two and seemingly, neither could Alice. The two of them exchanged looks, knowing better than to voice Alice’s vision, the chaos that information could trigger was to a scale that Edward doubted they could contain; Emmett’s reaction to his mate being possibly ripped apart, Bella’s guilt and Esme’s horror at her child being so viciously torn to pieces. Esme and Rosalie’s dynamic was different to any other dynamic within the coven, they were the most like mother and daughter and Esme would be most distraught to lose Rose after Emmett of course. The unknown factor of Alice’s vision tugged at Edward until a thought flickered through Alice’s head that Edward caught and he blinked, suddenly everything making sense.

 

Since the arrival of the creature, Alice had struggled to see Astra in her visions, for reasons that Alice had yet to determine but it made almost perfect sense. Astra was the variable that changed Rosalie’s fate, she had to be. Alice found Edward’s eyes, her own wide and filling with a childlike hope that only Alice could conjure. Their sister’s fate, and possibly their own fate, rested seemingly in the hands of a human, who was unaware of their world and it terrified Edward to think about the possible outcomes of this gamble that he and Alice were letting run its course.


	7. Bella II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astra is a bit of a badass and Bella remains a tad freaked out.

It was a long time after Bella watched James’ remains burn that she could finally breathe properly again, the heady sweet smoke finally leaving her lungs in its entirety. Rosalie had her head on Emmett’s shoulder, seemingly lacking all energy and Bella wondered vaguely how Astra was holding up. She wanted, desperately so, to be able to concentrate on someone other than herself but the terror that seemed to have briefly replaced blood in her veins was still fading. Something inside Bella felt terribly hollow, a deep well within her and when she closed her eyes, she could still see Rosalie as she had been when they’d arrived, cracks scoring her neck as James scrabbled to pull her head from her shoulders. 

 

Bella could still see it in her mind’s eye, could still feel the horror pulsing in time with her heartbeat and then Astra was there, gripping a burning branch like a warrior goddess, her eyes burning gold in the flames. She had slammed the branch into James’ back with a force Bella could barely gauge, or understand and the odd screeching sound it had made still slightly lingered in the back of Bella’s mind and then Rosalie had slid free, ducking from underneath his grasp. With swift movement that Bella had struggled to track, Rosalie had twisted, struck out and James had been flying backwards, his body crashing and Edward had vanished from Bella’s side briefly and she had watched as he and Rose descended on the vampire, tearing him to pieces. Astra had flung the branch towards Rosalie, she was backing away with darkening features and Bella’s stomach had twisted for Astra. She probably had no idea what was going on and the senseless killing was terrifying, even to Bella, who knew why James was been torn apart, knew why the fire had been necessary and had seen the bloodlust raw in James’ black eyes. But that was nothing compared to the fury and vengeance staining Astra’s face, scored with firelight and rage and Bella thought she’d never forget that expression, the fierce warrior goddess protecting her children, armed solely with a flaming branch and rage enough to brew a storm.

 

Astra herself wandered into Bella’s peripheral, brows set in a soft line on her face, which held an expression Bella captured as being slightly lost, an almost worry was pulling at Astra’s lips with coaxing fingers and when she moved to sit beside Bella, there was almost a creak to her movements, as though her limbs themselves were too tight. 

 

“The tribe is gathering tonight, I just spoke to Jake and I was trying to work out if there was any significance between their event and what happened here but I think we’re safe. Jake made some comment about his dad talking spirit warriors, so I guess we’re in the clear,” Astra’s tone was light and did not tremble as Bella thought her own might, but Astra with her bright eyes did not look like she would allow fear to quell her as it did Bella.

 

“What are you?” Bella’s voice cracked slightly, just enough to give leeway to the emotions she was fighting back and Astra turned startled eyes upon her friend, confusion colouring her face. She shook her head at Bella’s question, seemingly unable to comprehend what her friend was asking her and Bella grew impatient, there had to be an explanation for the sudden power behind Astra, who was practically fragile compared to the vampire she had thrust a branch into.

 

“What you did seems impossible, their skin is too thick to be penetrated like ours-” Before Bella could continue, however, Alice and Edward descended, rather quickly and shadowed by Rosalie, who wraps a cool arm around Astra’s shoulders as gently as Bella had seen her be. There was something between the two of them that went unsaid that didn’t exactly unnerve or unsettle Bella but piqued her curiosity. She recalled Astra’s brief mention of a vague crush she’d had on Rosalie which she’d eventually had to discard as Rose and Emmett seemed inseparable as well as Alice’s mention of Astra being Rose’s ‘favourite human.’ Curiouser and curiouser, Bella mused, thankful again that Edward couldn't read her thoughts as none of the wonderings flitting through her head looked very good for Bella; they seemed cruel and heartless in the face of everything that had just taken place.

 

“Bella, Rosalie didn’t go into the details, Astra doesn’t know exactly what we are,” Edward spoke softly enough that Bella almost strained to hear him, realisation darting across her features as she listened.

 

“It endangers us too much by having another human in the mix, so Rose chose to keep Astra in the dark, for her safety and ours. Before you ask, because I know you will and our stories have to match up, what Rosalie told Astra was a variant of the truth. She didn’t tell her that we are what we are, she simply explained that our family is of different makeup, as was James and that he was threatening you and by extent our family. Astra acted in the only way that could have saved Rosalie from being killed, Alice had a vision prior to us leaving to go and help Rose of James tearing Rosalie apart, as well as a separate one of what just unfolded. Sometimes Alice’s visions split like that, when the future isn’t entirely stable and with the dividing factor of Astra’s help, however, Astra wasn’t in either vision because Alice struggles to see her for reasons we’re all yet to determine, but I didn’t want to tell any of you as I knew that it wouldn’t change the outcome,” Edward was a strange calm, more so than usual and Bella’s eyes flashed over the face she had come to know well. She found she could often almost pick what he was thinking, just by his eyes, as his face revealed as little as he could possibly show and though initially, it had been hard to work with, she’d eventually become accustomed to his emotional state, or seemingly, therefore, lack of.

 

“So I don’t say anything on the topic, I act like this never happened?” The tentative edge to Bella’s voice couldn’t be avoided and even Rosalie, a little way over, glanced towards her with narrowed eyes. There still seemed to be no love lost between the two of them, though Edward chimed whenever Bella complained about the obvious dislike Rosalie had for her, was that Rose was merely jealous of Bella, something that Bella found difficult to believe in itself. But if Edward was so flippant in telling her such, Bella had supposed that she’d have to believe him, though she certainly didn’t understand why Rosalie would ever be jealous of her.

 

“Yes, as a family and as a species I guess, it’s our job to keep our identities secret, from humans for fear of them trying to kill us and them knowing our identity also raises problems with those who think themselves in charge, but I believe that’s a story for another day. It’s late Bella, we should get you and Astra home before Charlie freaks or Astra’s parents call the police, aka Charlie, trying to figure out where their daughter is,” The finality on the subject in Edward’s voice is almost harsh though Bella recognises how he tries to sweeten it out at the end, acknowledging his tone is a little less than appeasing before Rose, arm still practically locked around Astra’s shoulders, heads over to them. 

 

“I’ll take Astra home, I’ll see you at ours Edward,” Rosalie barely skims a glance at Bella herself, her eyes remained pinned on Edward and though Bella cannot bring herself to care, it does bring a prickle of dislike up her spine. She wanted more than anything in that moment, to yell at the blonde vampire, ask her what she ever did to her and why she disliked her so intensely that refused to even spare Bella a glance. But instead, Bella throws her arms around Astra’s shoulders, knocking Rosalie’s arm away as she hugs Astra as fiercely as she can, all troublesome thoughts dedicated to her best friend dissipating as Astra embraces her back with a solid warmth and for a moment, all Bella wants to do is collapse in Astra’s warm arms. She’s never felt so tired in her life, its an unusually harsh tug and with a gentle sigh, Bella allows Astra to step from her arms and turned back to Edward, who was already heading towards the car they had brought with them, Emmett and Alice piling into the back. Jasper has vanished, probably for the better, as his nervousness put Bella on edge enough and she was more than happy to sit back and listen to Emmett and Alice chatter without Jasper’s strange moodiness making the car uncomfortable. And that’s what she does for a while before eventually, she can’t help but fall into sleep, lulled by the quiet banter around her.


	8. Jacob II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cullens do a runner and Jacob has to deal with the fall out with his fave girls.

Jacob remembered the day the Cullens took off quite vividly, it seemed etched into his mind mostly due to the reaction that came of it. It was as though a switch flicked, not only for Bella but he noticed it in Astra too, though she handled it more subtly and seemed entirely less affected by it, but Jacob could blame that on that she wasn’t actually dating one of the pale freaks as Bella was. 

Bella, it seemed, became a bit more than a nervous wreck and despite Astra’s support, nothing was helping and no one seemed to be able to console her, especially her father, though Charlie tried in vain enough times that Astra finally had words with him. It was strange, Bella had always been an introvert and someone who kept more to herself and now it seemed she was retreating back into her shell and there seemed no retrieving her. Astra had given up, Jake had heard the harsh words she’d used but he knew she was frustrated and a little terrified, there seemed to come back from whatever hole Bella had fallen into. Astra didn’t understand, Jake came to find out, she didn’t get how Bella could feel so strongly that she could no longer feel at all. It wasn’t that Astra was incapable of feeling, she seemed to be able to separate feelings and reality in a way that Jacob almost envied, she had come to a conclusion by herself whilst Bella wallowed and Astra seemed unable to comprehend why.

It was a warmer day, though summer was trickling to an end when Bella joined Astra and Jake down by La Push’s cliffs on the hot sand. Astra had extended the invite, not expecting probably that Bella would accept, but neither Jake nor Astra would complain, Bella had become awfully pale and it was a relief to see her face less-drawn as she stared out into the glittering water. Astra had her board, hitching it to her hip as she padded through the sand with an uneven gait, the sand sinking around her feet and Jake saw her wince at a hot patch, or maybe a sharp shell before she was moving faster, almost running and then she hit the water in a cascade of salt spray. He watched her paddle out for a moment, her hair a slick mess down her spine before he turned to study Bella, who he found was already staring at him, chocolate eyes curious.

“So you and her?” It was soft, but he caught the intent. He wondered briefly if Astra wasn’t forthcoming to Bella, but then Astra was quite frustrated with her friend so it didn’t exactly surprise him that Bella was confused about the situation. He wasn’t sure about it himself, truly, however, he guessed Bella was looking more for his insight than an explanation. 

“Honestly, I don’t know. Astra burns really bright y’know and sometimes I feel it is impossible to catch her, to be on the same level. And I feel if I try to burn like she does, I’ll burn out before I even reach her if you get what I mean?” He glanced towards Bella, unsurety making his voice quaver a little. Bella was nodding though, understanding bright in her eyes as she did so, her eyes sweeping back out to where Astra bobbed in the surf before she spoke.

 

“I think you have to go with your heart. Astra won’t wait for you, you have to keep up with her if you want her and she won’t slow, nor will she allow your feelings to rule her. You have to listen to your heart and your head and your gut, and what they tell you when you look at her,” Bella sounded almost wistful as she spoke and Jacob swept his gaze to study her briefly but she still watching Astra with a look on her face that he couldn’t entirely place. It wasn’t quite jealousy, but it could have been if there wasn’t so much warmth clouding her expression. That expression held for another few moments before she glanced to Jacob, her eyes finding his and she smiled gently, sadness hugging her lips no matter how hard she tried to force it back.

 

“What happened with you? Astra’s told me what she knows but I- I don’t understand entirely. I mean, I know you probably hate me asking but everyone’s been worried. I’ve been worried, your dad’s distraught-” Bella shook her head with a startling vehemence, her eyes closing briefly and he noticed the way her muscles had now become rigid and her fingers gripped tightly to the sand, as though she was afraid of sinking into it or being tugged away. 

 

“Honestly, if I could tell you, if I could shape what I’m feeling into words, I’d tell you. I’d tell Astra, Charlie, I’d tell everyone. But I just can’t. It hurts and then talking about it makes it feel smaller and I don’t want it to feel small but at the same time, I don’t want it to be all-encompassing. Astra deals with it like I wish I could. She’s open, she understands her own feelings and she understands things I could never hope to entirely come to terms with. She gets people, I don’t and maybe Astra knows why they did what they did but I don’t, not fully,” Bella sighed, stretching back into the sand with a quiet creak of bones and Jake watched her, wordless as he knew she had more to say and interrupting her might make her sudden forthrightness disappear.

 

“Holy shit did you see that?” Bella’s startled gasp caused him to sit bolt upright, eyes whirling first to her then to Astra, who was currently astride her board, rocking in the wake. Jake followed Bella’s eyes, up and towards the cliffs where waves smashed and then he saw what had made her shout. Another boy was jumping, following the one Bella must have seen jump, who currently bobbed in the water. Jake stifled a groan as he laid his eyes on the tallest of the bunch, Sam Uley with his heavy biceps and thickset frame, the muscle-bound leader of La Push’s latest cult. The two in the water, Jared Cameron and Paul Lahote, the latter a surprising addition as after his father, everyone thought he’d stay away from addiction but clearly, Sam had dug his claws into the guy. 

 

“Pay them no mind, it’s just Sam Uley and his little cult messing around. Most of us go from lower down cuz we’re not suicidal but apparently steroids make you immune to the impact,” Jake was well aware of the bitter edge seeping into his voice, though he tried vaguely to force it down, disliking how obvious his displeasure seemed. Bella didn’t seem to acknowledge his tone, however, though her eyes remained on the boys until Astra let out a scream and there was a heavy splash. Jake was on his feet before he even realised what he was doing, his eyes roaming the water where she last was before there was another splash slightly off of where he could spot her board and then Astra was flung out of the water, only to splash back into it, laughing as she slipped beneath a wave. And then Paul, wet hair dark as a seal’s surfaced, his smile glittering and Jacob relaxed, only slightly but enough, Astra was safe with Paul and if bonfire night was anything to go by, they had some sort of connection that Jacob found intimidated him, not because it had any depth to it yet that he knew of, but he saw the way they looked at each other. 

 

Astra was being to paddle in now, Paul occasionally giving her board a shake but he seemed content to drift in with her, Jared too was coming ashore. When Astra and Paul finally stumbled ashore, both shielding their eyes with their hands as the sun became intense, Jacob could her teasing his about his haircut and how ripped he’d become since she’d last seen him. She wouldn’t have known about the steroid thing and Paul shrugged it off as vigorous exercise, Jake making sure to scoff within his hearing. Paul caught Jake’s eye then, an almost glower glittering in his gaze before he turned it back to Astra, who was lugging the board upright into the sand with a wet crunch. Jake refused to allow himself to be intimidated, however, pushing his shoulders forward and then Jared was there, placing himself seemingly strategically between Jake and Paul, both who seemed to be bristling. 

 

“Woah, woah who does the pale Sea Goddess belong to?” Jared winked at Astra, who smiled at him with a tolerating warmth, her teeth very white as she did. 

 

“She belongs to herself nitwit,” Paul rumbled diplomatically and Astra aimed her cheeky grin towards him as their eyes met, her hand moving to his bicep as she squeezed the thick muscle gently, in almost a quelling gesture. Paul stiffened, his entire frame stilling as she did that and though Astra seemed to notice, she didn’t seem to pay his reaction any mind, instead initiating conversation with an eager Jared, who’s eyes flicked to Paul briefly. Jacob wondered if she’d disrupted something by grabbing his arm, maybe they had needles in there, slow releasing? Paul still seemed a tad shell shocked and then Sam, dark eyes burning holes into Jake was there, his large frame blocking any sun and Bella made a complaining noise as she rolled over onto her front in an effort to ignore the cult surrounding them.

 

“Jacob. Isabella. And you must be the Astra that Paul won’t shut up about?” There’s a teasing note in Sam’s voice but Jake was more focused on how he knew Bella and why she’d turned around fully, her eyes roaming Sam with something like recognition glinting in her gaze. 

 

“Sam, hi. I never got to say thank you,” There’s a soft sadness in her voice and everyone catches it, Sam almost wincing but he smiles warmly none the less. Astra gives a start, seeming to have pieced together whom Sam was, a sweet expression sweeping her features. 

 

“So you’re Bella’s rescuer! Charlie wouldn’t shut up about you and how grateful he is, you were pretty much Prince Charming for the night,” All the while Astra spoke, Jake noticed how Sam manoeuvred Paul to his side so they became a united front, something that irked Jake but he didn’t react to it, Astra seemed to be ignoring their movement, though her eyes lingered on Paul with a wistfulness that made Jake’s stomach tighten. His fingers came to rest on her wrist, a gesture which Paul caught and Jared moved at the same time as Paul did, blocking him between Sam and Jacob frowned, he was becoming more and more confused. And then, just like that, with an abrupt air, the cult was moving, Paul being practically shoved by Sam, Astra watching them retreat with a mix of a startled expression and confusion dousing her face. There were traces of sadness too, lingering in her eyes though she blinked it away before it could stay, squaring her shoulders in a gesture that read ‘it’s all good,’ but Jake knew things were far from good, he could see through the pretence. Her and Paul, there was something between them he knew but how deep, he was coming to realise he had no idea just how deep it went.


	9. Astra III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake vanishes and Astra finds comfort in Paul.

Astra next heard from Bella almost a month after their beach date. She was confused about Jake’s sudden disappearance, something that also irked Astra, though she had listened when Billy had said he had mono, unlikely but she knew no reason he’d lie to her. She wasn’t his girlfriend so maybe she wasn’t as privy but Billy wouldn’t be covering up anything dire, she hoped. Bella however, seemed to have gone into detective mode, piecing together clues that Astra was ultimately both stumped and confused about. Maybe that was why she agreed to go with Bella to check on Jake, maybe that was what gave her the driving force in which she pressed forward through the rain, intent after Bella who was moving fast enough through the rain that she was an almost blur. 

 

Astra pulled her coat tighter around her, huffing a breath of air that was near visible in the cold air as she near stumbled over a wooden walkway and then, as her eyes flicked up, she saw Bella had stopped dead, staring at someone coming through the rain. Jacob, hair cut short and more muscle-bound than Astra could ever remember, with a tattoo on his shoulder that matched the one on Paul’s arm, stood before then, hair soaking in the rain and without a shirt.

 

All Astra could do was stare, mostly at his bare pecs, though eventually, her gaze wandered from Jake to a huddle behind him near to the trees, she could pick Paul and Sam with ease and her eyes roamed over them before Bella’s sharp words drew her back. 

 

“Jake, what the hell? You haven’t returned any of my calls, your dad said you had mono, I don’t understand? Suddenly you look like this, you’ve joined Sam, even though I knew you hated him, for taking Embry,! What about Quill, what happens to him now you’ve gone and joined the steroid gang?” Jacob let out a low snarl at her words, though his eyes lingered on the shivering Astra, the rain had soaked through her coat to her skin and the cool bite of the wind was not helping her. 

 

“Jesus Bella, you don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t know shit about Sam either, he saved your ass so you really shouldn’t be talking so cruelly about your rescuer. You had to bring Astra into this too, she’s going to catch her death in this weather. I know you must like the cold now, all that time spent with the Cold Ones really does that, but Astra is normal, she’s fragile and I know she doesn’t know what you do,” Astra almost missed Sam’s biting call of Jacob’s name, halting the bitter rant spewing from his lips. His eyes found her again, something akin to sadness welling in his gaze. She brought her arms around herself, hugging her own body in an attempt to right her core temperature but it seemed to no avail. Bella advanced towards Jacob then, leaving Astra along and before Bella could speak, Paul out of nowhere pushed past Jacob and swept an arm around Astra’s shoulder, a tight embrace and god he was warm. She near burst into tears, so grateful for his warmth as she buried herself in his warm, familiar chest, said tears managing to slip down her face and joining the raindrops spattering her skin.

 

“Come on, let these two talk it out, you and I are going to get out of this weather, you’re freezing, angel,” The pet name seemed to slip in there without either of them paying much mind to it, though a warm flush did heat up Astra’s tummy, but whether that was due to her being pressed to Paul’s side or due to said comment, she wasn’t entirely sure. His arm was a comforting weight, soon to be joined by another as they hurried into a slightly sheltered grove of trees in which was parked several trucks, Paul steering her towards a silver pickup truck as the rain seemed to lessen beneath the heavy trees.

 

He opened the door wide and practically bundled her into the truck and then he was around the other side and they were both safe and warm in the pickup truck. 

 

“Get your coat off, it’s soaked and you’re going to get sick. There’s a shower where we’re going and I have some clothes there you can borrow if you want- here,” She had been struggling with her coat as he spoke but as soon as he was helping her, she managed to pull it free, practically wrestling the thing onto the floor of the truck. She heaved a sigh, aware that her sweater was clinging to every curve imaginable but Paul’s eyes were averted, he seemed focused on digging something out of a backpack flung into the back.

 

A large red hoodie went flying in her direction and she caught it, trying to be subtle as she inhaled what she recognised as his cologne and then she glanced at him, moving to hand him back the hoodie before he shook his head almost viciously, gesturing to her to put it on. Shimming out of her soaked sweater, which left her in a black tank and a bra, she wrestled into the hoodie, sinking into its warmth and the heady scent of Paul. He was smiling faintly when her head popped out of the neck, her soaking hair clinging to her face and before either of them could speak, his fingers were gliding over her forehead to push the wet strands back off of her face.

 

“Thank you, for all of this and for coming to rescue me from that situation. I shouldn’t have come but I just- I wanted to make sure he was okay, that nothing really bad had happened. I was curious and Bella can be compelling. It isn’t raining in Forks, for once, but I wasn’t expecting it to get so heavy, I don’t know, I’m an idiot and I get cold so easily, I shouldn’t live in Washington I know but, you were my saving grace,” He let her ramble as he turned the car on, the heating blasting after a moment and she watched him fiddle it so that she was getting most of the jets on her, that made something in her ache. He was sweeter, too sweet and it made her want him more than she already did, not that she’d ever admitted as much. It wasn’t a grand gesture, it was probably something he wasn’t fully aware of doing but it meant a lot to her, as eventually her shivering and teeth chattering slowed and Paul relaxed when finally she seemed to be warm enough. 

 

He drove with a startling awareness of both the road and of her. Whenever she looked at him, it seemed he was already watching her, even out of the corner of his eye, his gaze lingering.

 

“You have a right to be curious, you didn’t do any of the yelling that Bella did and I could see you getting progressively colder, I couldn't bear to leave you out there shivering whilst they fought. I’m taking you to Sam’s girlfriend’s by the way, just so you know I’m not kidnapping you,” His mouth turned up in an almost smirk and she wanted to reply that she wouldn’t mind being kidnapped by him but instead she kept her mouth shut, eyes on the road as it curved away into the woods into with they were headed. 

 

“I’m possibly more confused about the whole situation than before but I understand that if he was able to, Jake would tell me what’s going on to the best of his abilities,” Astra tried to sound diplomatic as Paul turned off down a side road and he chuckled faintly at her words, the laughter bringing his mouth up in a gentle way that she liked. 

 

“One day, maybe I’ll be the one to explain it all to you, but for now, can I ask that you remain in ignorance. It’s safer, for you and me and it would make me feel better if I knew you were unaware,” It was an odd request but Astra wasn’t about to say no, she had very little choice it seemed and when she nodded at Paul, he seemed relieved and they were slowing. a cottage right out of Sleeping Beauty caught her eyes and Astra wanted to sigh out in longing, it was an adorable little house and she could see honeysuckle twisting up the sides of the house like it was truly out of a fairy tale. 

 

Before she could even unclimbed, Paul was opening the door for her and guiding her swiftly in the direction of the front door, which opened as they approached to reveal a beautiful woman with a scar slashing across her face. Astra was too focused on how cold she was to properly react as Paul loosened his grip and she was able to glance around the house, it was scattered with various vases full of flowers and that would explain the sudden scent that permeated Astra’s nose. She smiled at the woman, holding out a still cold hand which the woman grasped gently.

 

“I’m Emily, you must be Astra,” Paul and Emily made eye contact but Astra was too busy realising she was dripping rain all over the floor. Emily merely laughed, pointing towards a door with a carved wooden wolf set high up on it. 

 

“Bathroom’s through there, Paul can show you everything and he has some clothes here I think he’ll be willing to share,” More eye contact but Astra was moving, set on the bathroom and the idea of being warm and Paul was trailing her, pushing open the door before she could, ever the gentleman and she turned to beam up at him, to find their faces very close together, he appeared mid whisper and before she could stop it, a blush rose red against the pale of her skin. His eyes darkened impossibly so and a slow smile spread across his face. 

 

“Room for one more in that shower?” His voice was low and it made her shift almost in her stance, glad that Emily hadn’t heard the comment as she wasn’t sure what she would say, the older girl surely wouldn’t be offended but even so, it was not something one yelled out.

 

“Emily’s right there, Paul! I’ve only just met her, I’m trying to make a good impression and then you pull that line,” She couldn’t help the snort of laughter that burst through her lips and his mouth curled up at her expression, a mix between amusement and embarrassment, the flush of colour burning her cheeks a gentle pink.

 

He pinched her cheek gently, in a familiar way that made her heart practically stutter before his fingers smoothed out over said cheek as he turned to leave, blowing her a kiss as he departed the bathroom which felt a lot bigger once he left. She began to strip, yanking wet jeans and top off of herself and her flesh instantly became goose pimpled and she shivered briefly as she hung Paul’s mostly dry hoodie on the heated towel rail to dry it so she could wear it once she exited the shower. The realisation that she had no more clothes came at the same time as the door opening, too quickly for her to exclaim and for a moment, it was her in her wet underwear looking like a drowned rat and Paul with an armful of clothes staring almost wide-eyed at her mostly naked body.

 

“Are you gonna give me those clothes or are you gonna hang around staring all afternoon?” Astra couldn’t help the taunting that snuck into her tone and he grinned, white teeth catching the light as he deposited the clothes on the hamper close to the door before he sauntered out with a wink and then she was alone to shower. Stepping underneath the spray, she sighed softly, raising her arms so the water warmed her faster and for a good minute, she stood beneath the showerhead , practically unmoving as her mind swirled with thoughts. Paul seemed all-encompassing, even his presence in her subconscious was immense and though she didn’t mind, it brought her to realise that she’d made her choice, whether she was entirely aware of it or not. And she definitely wasn’t unhappy with that choice, however, it worried her to confront Jake, even if they weren’t official, they shared something brief and undeniable. Turning her face up into the water for a moment, Astra brushed all thoughts aside and finally, her mind felt almost at peace.


	10. Edward III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward is an emo baby and the Cullens return.

Edward couldn’t stand Alaska this time. He’d fled his family pretty quickly, taking off into the dense, freezing forests that were abundant with small animals and less frequented by humans which he was intensely grateful for. Alice updated him when he neared about Bella, though often she had very little to tell him, apparently the number creatures in La Push had grown and with Astra spending a great deal of her time around the shapeshifters, Alice struggled to give Edward full updates on Bella, who seemed intent on remaining within her room, and when she did frequent the outside world, it was with Astra, or Jacob Black, both of whom were black spots in Alice's vision.

 

The lack of updates both unsettled and reassured him, Bella despite not entirely having gone back to her routine for obvious reasons, she was no longer wallowing as she initially had been. She spent a lot of time in darkness, with Astra and Jacob he assumed and that comforted him, they were good for her, both of them, despite his reservations about Jacob. Rosalie, however, hadn’t been as content with Alice’s updates and had disobeyed Carlisle directly to go down and check on Astra when she perceived that it had been too long since she’d heard anything for the human. Edward hadn’t initially realised that the two kept in touch but from what Alice had told him, just as Bella emailed her, Rosalie and Astra kept up some form of mutual communication, despite Carlisle’s misgivings. Edward was glad for it, Astra had an instigator Alice lacked and he remembered how distressed Rosalie had been to leave Astra, there was a softness between them that Edward often wondered about. Though he’d never admit it to Rosalie, he suspected that Astra was her blood singer, however, not her mate as given the blank hole Astra created in Alice’s vision canvas, she was likely tied closely to one of the shapeshifters. 

 

Those theories would explain Rosalie and Astra’s almost connection as well as the hole that Astra’s future left in Alice’s mind and it was an almost comfort to Edward, that there was a reason behind Astra’s metaphysical absence.

 

As he neared his family’s house, he caught Rose’s divisive thoughts first, hers were often the loudest though he would always be unsure why exactly but a thought passed through her mind that brought Edward to a halt. An image of Alice with her face buried into Jasper’s shoulder as she clutched at her temples, a vision clearly taking its toll on her. Then Alice’s voice, cracking slightly as she wailed about something and then he caught a name as it passed through Rosalie’s thoughts. Bella, a mere whisper in Rosalie’s mind drew a cacophony in Edward’s as his eyes widened. Before he could think, he was running to the front door and exploding into the house, searching almost desperately for Alice until he saw her, her eyes widening in fright and worry as she saw him. 

 

And then he could see the vision as it played back through her head, Bella jumped from a steep cliff in a flurry of movement but suddenly, the vision was changing, Astra, visible from the blanket for once, shoved through waves atop her surfboard, a horrified look darkening her face and then Alice was looking through Astra’s eyes as she lifted Bella onto the board and then, Edward and Alice saw it at the same time. The redhead, James’ mate, with her vicious crimson eyes, bobbed in the water maybe twenty metres away from where Astra and Bella were being pushed around in the wake. And then Astra was paddling, swiftly enough that for a while, everything was a mere blur but Alice could still see Bella through her eyes and that was enough to calm Edward, relief swelling like the waves surrounding Astra and Bella. Astra’s eyes flashed to the shore, two boys, both with the russet skin of those living on the Indian Reservation on La Push. One of said boys, Edward recognised as Jacob Black but the other was unknown to him but the distraught way in which he stared at Astra gave Edward brief insight into who he may be to her. And then, as they neared the shore, everything went dark, just as it usually did for Alice when one of the shapeshifters or Astra was usually in the picture. That thought made Edward stiffen in realisation, he had debated it earlier but now it almost made perfect sense. Astra was tied to one of the shapeshifters, possibly in the way vampires had their own mates, maybe the shapeshifters did too and the way the bigger guy had looked at her, it wasn’t hard to tell just which one it was. 

 

Something tugged him back to reality then, out of Alice’s head and back to his family’s living room, where all of them stared at him and Alice, something like apprehension staining their features. He could hear their curiosity, Esme’s relief at seeing him, Rosalie seemed almost startled at his reemergence and Emmett was bright with happiness at seeing his brother. Jasper was by Alice’s side and then Carlisle was approaching him, eyes wary and palms out.

 

“Victoria’s back. She’s hunting Bella and by extent, Astra,” Alice spoke urgently, the last few words an appeal to Rosalie, whose eyes narrowed at her words, fury burning through her thoughts.

 

“Then we must return, as is our duty,” Carlisle spoke cautiously, his eyes sweeping to Edward, whose shoulders loosened at his words, relief staining his features. He didn’t want to be the one to ask, to force them to move back but now that Carlisle had said it, they could act on it without Edward feeling as guilty for twice relocating his family as he could have. 

 

Their return was swift and silent, in the near dead of night though it woke more shifters than Edward had realised inhabited the La Push land. He caught some of their thoughts, a whirl of fury and confusion, some of curiosity and one, who he believed was the original one he had sensed, of caution. As he grew closer to the border, he and Rosalie had decidedly opted to check in on both Bella and Astra, the thoughts grew louder and more aggressive. 

 

“We must proceed with caution, the shifters don’t seem to like that we’re back and one of them is particularly protective over Astra,” Edward knew cautioning Rosalie was like throwing gasoline on a fire and true to his reckoning, Rosalie moved faster still, her eyes set on the window that Edward knew to be Astra’s. He hung back, knowing it was personal to Rosalie, instead watching over the woods where he could smell the shifters crouching.

 

“Neither of them is the redhead, the Cullens are still abiding by the treaty, meaning it’s not grounds for an attack Paul. The blonde one has visited Astra a number of times, if she meant her harm we’d know,” A low growl followed that, though Edward was busy pondering the alpha’s words. Redhead would mean Victoria, so the wolves were what was keeping her away from Forks and then to their mention of Rosalie, Edward had only been aware of her visiting Astra once but clearly, Rose was willing to run the risk to check on her human. He would have to ask her how Astra’s blood smelt, his belief that the human was Rose’s blood singer was too close to reality than Edward would have liked, she’d never mentioned it but it was Rosalie. Her control rivalled Carlisle’s, even around Bella, whom Alice and Emmett had originally struggled with scent wise. Edward could probably blame that on Rosalie’s disdain for Bella but Astra was a different story.

 

She wasn’t an anomaly to be exact, but the gaping hole she left in Alice’s visions made her an oddity as did her strange thoughts and the way he could read them. And now, her ties to the shapeshifters, which he had gathered from said shifters that she was unaware of but at least he knew that if he and his family hadn’t returned, that she would have been kept safe.

 

They went to Bella’s house next, further into the heart of Forks and they had to be careful, for though it lingered about midnight, the occasional car sped down the quiet streets. Bella was asleep when Edward slipped through her window, Rosalie skulking by the large oak in Bella’s yard waiting. He leaned over her, eyes roaming her face which was peaceful in sleep and he noticed the dream catcher Jacob had made her still hung above her bed, though many things about her room had changed. There were pictures scattering the walls, no doubt due to the camera her mother had arranged for her birthday though most of them were not of Bella, the few she starred in were happy. Astra had a starring role in most photos, ever camera ready with her wicked smile and then, Edward’s fingers caught a photograph that stood out from the others, it wasn’t one that had been taken at school like most of the others, this one was in front of trees and greenery so intense that it almost detracted from the two people at the centre of it. Astra and a boy Edward remembered vaguely from his vision, the big guy who looked at Astra like she sprinkled the stars. He had his arm around her and she leaned into him, grinning fantastically into the camera but he was only looking at her, his own grin soft and full of a sweetness that made Edward glad. Astra deserved happiness and if that shifter brought her that then he was happy for that.

 

What he hadn’t noticed, however, was Bella sitting up slowly and he only realised she had woken when she spoke.

 

“Charlie will shoot you if he catches you here,” There was a dryness in Bella’s voice that he was unused to, a coldness that he recalled from their first few weeks of knowing each other. That coldness had disappeared around the time he’d driven her to Seattle but still, to hear it return made him ache hollowly. 

 

“Charlie’s dreaming about fishing, I won’t wake him,” Edward kept his voice low, turning to look at her. Her brown eyes, reminiscent of melted chocolate, were hard though tiredness kept the edges of them soft. She had a little colour in her cheeks, new colour that warmed her features though she was a little gauntlet than her remembered, guilt sinking heavily in his belly.

 

“I know that sorry isn’t going to cut it and I don’t expect you to forgive me. But I wanted to say it to your face, I wanted to tell you that I am terribly sorry for what I did and for what my absence did. My intention was to protect you but I understand that it kinda an opposite effect,” Bella scoffed, her face closed though the look in her eyes had begun to thaw slowly.

 

“Even Rosalie managed to visit Astra, she hated telling me that even her best friend could manage to visit her whilst my boyfriend was absent, unable to bear the thought of looking at me after what he said,” Her words were venom, though they didn’t sound organically Bella and he wondered how many times Astra had ranted to Bella about how if Edward did return, there was to be no mercy. He wouldn’t put it past her but Bella seemed to believe those words and it was good that she did. He didn’t want her to forgive him instantly, that was a weak way of handling the situation and he knew Bella was not weak but she did love him clearly and love made even strong people weak.


	11. Bella III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bella is not so easily swayed and Astra gets sick.

After her argument with Jacob and the revelation of the La Push boys having the ability to change into giant hairy beasts, her relationship with Jacob had shifted. It had become almost stilted, even from him shifting on the fly in rage and then Sam shifting too, in an effort to throw Jacob off and Bella could remember screaming herself near hoarse. Now she understood why Paul had bundled Astra off, Bella was already a liability with her vampire knowledge and was possibly easier to reveal to than a human who had less experience with the so-called supernatural. However, if Jakes words she’d overheard to Sam were anything to go by, Astra would know soon enough about the pack. She hadn’t caught the word Jake had used to describe Astra but she had caught the bitterness that leaked into his tone. Jake liked Astra, more so than he’d ever liked Bella, at least in that way, and you’d have to be blind or Astra not to see it.

 

But the way the big guy, Paul, looked at Astra, that made Bella wonder if Jake liked Astra or the idea of her because the way Paul looked at her made everything change. He looked at her with soft eyes, like a puppy and she looked at him with such warmth that Bella felt she was somewhat intruding on a private moment between the two and a part of her, albeit a remote part, wondered if this was how she and Edward looked at each other. She hoped it was, because the genuine feeling that passed between the two with each glance was something that made her happy for the both of them, truly happy.

 

And then there was the Jacob problem, however much Astra seemed unaware, Bella wondered what would become of the situation; she knew Jake to be persistent to the point of unblushing but he seemed to have slackened off on the Astra front since he’d become all wolfy. That made her wonder briefly, as she sat down beside Angela at the lunch table, her tray clattering noisily and Jess turned to smile over at Bella, cheeks stretching as she positively beamed. Bella’s mind however was on what Sam had mentioned in regards to the soulmate things that the wolves experienced, something about the pull that could not be resisted. She remembered how tense Jake had become when the topic had changed to that and wondered who Jake’s soulmate was and why he hadn’t been forthcoming about it.

 

“So Bella, how do you feel about Edward returning? I mean we all thought they were gone for good- are you okay Bella? We’re all here for you if you need support, everyone understands what you went through and to have them back must be taking a toll,” Bella looked up into Jess’ eyes, they were a little anxious, her curiosity overwhelming but her words were solid and true.

 

“Honestly, I think I’m better off without them, they’re quite draining to be around,” Bella kept the ice from her voice well enough but Astra, who was passing on her way over to where Rosalie and Jasper were tossing an apple back and forth, grimaced slightly. She understood where Bella was coming from, understood the upset but Rosalie had come back several times for Astra at the risk of her family’s behest and thus, it was a little harder for Astra to remain at odds with the Cullens.

 

Bella watched her friend, Astra seemed brighter than ever but there was something to it that puzzled Bella. Astra seemed slightly reluctant, not to be sitting down with Rose and Jasper but here, at school, almost within the boundaries of the treaty line. Bella noticed it more and more as the two of them frequented the La Push reservation but there seemed a part of Astra that she couldn’t hide that longed for the reservation, longed for the wolves. Bella had never asked if Astra had native ancestry though she noted that Astra did live quite close to the reservation in correlation with the rest of the town. 

 

Tuning back into the conversation happening around her, Bella noted that she’d been tuning Jessica out, the other girl was grumbling about the theme for the spring formal coming up in a few weeks and Bella wasn’t surprised; Madison Square Rose Garden was a theme seemingly pulled from nowhere by a sophomore with a wildly left brain, at least according to Jess. As per usual, Angela seemed ambivalent, the dark-haired girl was her normal, reserved self beside Eric and when she caught Bella’s stare, her mouth worked into a broad smile. Angela and Eric were a couple that amused Bella, she was the photographer, he was the would-be journalist and together, their school paper was essentially flourishing, as much as a school paper could. 

 

“So Bella, who are you taking to the spring formal? The rest of us have dates and I reckon Astra’s taking some guy from the rez that’s caught her attention, you flying solo or gonna drag Cullen?” Mike was his usual less-than-conscious of others self and Bella quirked her mouth at his blunt tone. 

 

“Y’know, there are a few Cullens so if you’re talking about Carlisle, then yes, he’s my date,” Bella winked at Mike theatrically and Jess spilled with laughter, catching the attention of the table filled with Cullens. Edward’s eyes had narrowed slightly, Bella could see them slit from where she sat as he repeated what had just occurred back to the others. Astra, on Rosalie’s left, snorted; she was picking at a meat pie with slender fingers, a general air of disinterest glittering around her. Bella wondered briefly if Astra was truly okay, she acknowledged these past few months were harder on her than Bella gave her credit for, she was closer with more of the Cullens than Bella was and their disappearance meant she was out several friends rather than just one; a boyfriend but still.

 

Rosalie seemed to pick up on Astra’s mood, nudging the dark blonde with a concerned look placating her usually stony features and Astra merely shrugged, taking a halfhearted bite of the pie, seemingly to appease Rosalie. Edward and Rosalie made eye contact and Bella wondered what he saw in Astra’s head to make him shake his head at her. Rosalie wrapped an arm around Astra in an almost protective motion and before she could think, Bella was standing with a sharp screech from the table, her friends startled eyes following her up. 

 

“I’m gonna go check on Astra, also Jess, if you want the theme changed badly, Marcus Thelma is the one in charge of it, I reckon you can sweet talk him,” Bella winked, hoping no one noticed the lack of commitment to the gesture and departed the table, wrapping her raincoat over her arm nervously. Quelling her nerves, knowing Jasper would be aware of them and then Edward, she strode over to where Rosalie was cutting Astra’s pie into bite-sized pieces, her presence drawing all of their eyes. Alice smiles warmly from between Jasper and Edward, both of whom wore smiles, Jasper’s more strained and Emmett was nowhere to be found; Bella found she missed his energy. She wondered if this was the first time she’d spoken to the majority of them since they had returned, she’d kept her distance as had Astra but Rosalie seemed to have been able to push through Astra’s defences.

 

“Sorry to interrupt,” She wasn’t. 

 

“Astra, are you feeling okay? I caught sight of you from my table and you looked a little drained. I also wanted to ask who you were bringing to the formal, Mike said you had a date from La Push and I didn’t know we were allowed?” Astra raised her head, her cheeks very red against the pale of her skin, she was nearly as pale as Rosalie and that was cause for Bella to worry but unless Astra addresses it, Bella would leave it alone. 

 

“I’m a little under the weather, reckon it’s the last cold of the season that’s leeched onto me. In terms of dates, I’m trying to convince Paul to come with me, he says he’s not allowed to but I really wish he would. I hate formals and I think with him, it would be fun,” Bella chuckled, glad that Astra hadn’t avoided her questions as some of the others seated at the table did. She was also surprised that Paul wasn’t jumping to go, it seemed odd to Bella that he would hesitate, after all, Bella was pretty sure he’d do just about anything for her however, there was the factor of the treaty and the possibility that Paul had wolf duties that Astra couldn’t know about. 

 

“I’m sure, he’ll come around. He seems infatuated with you and you know guys will do anything for you,” Bella kept her tone wry as Astra choked out a cough, her nose wrinkling slightly as she got her breathing back under control. She noted Edward seemed to be avoiding her gaze, it was painfully obvious and Bella tried to push the hurt that swelled when she caught that, knowing Jasper would catch it.

 

“Well, I’m going to ask Jacob, so let’s see if that convinces him! I’m going to head down in person this evening if you want to come?” She hoped Astra would say yes, she preferred her company to pretty much all others and plus, Bella would get to see Astra’s eyes light up when she got to see Paul, a warmth encompassed Bella as she thought about that. The way the two of them looked at each other made her feel like she was intruding but there was something about it that Bella envied.

 

“I think I’m going to take Astra to Carlisle actually Bella, I know it sounds motherly but I don’t like where this cold might go, flu season is never ending in this climate,” Rosalie’s eyes were ice as they met Bella’s, daring her to object and Bella held up her hands, taking a step back with a brief smile in Astra’s direction. 

 

“Alright then, call me when you’re home yeah Astra?” Astra nodded, giving Bella a weak thumbs up before Bella turned and strode away from the Cullens table, her eyes forward as she felt their gazes on her back before she slipped out of the cafeteria doors and into the brisk Forks spring.


	12. Jacob III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob is our favourite dumbass and there's some cute Paul x Astra.

Jacob was almost surprised to see his imprint’s face when he swung open the front door. She looked nervous, brown eyes flashing from his face to the darkness behind him and back before either of them could speak. She still feared him. The realisation settled a heavy weight in his stomach and he pushed himself to lean against the door, feigning relaxed posture when really, his shoulders were tightening with every passing second. Bella spoke first, her voice rising slightly, almost tremulous and Jacob had to intently focus on her words so as not to get distracted by her face or the way her voice quavered and mellowed as she spoke.

 

“Wait, wait, say that again?” His head felt fuzzy, the strangeness of the situation getting to him finally or was it the lack of sleep from running patrol last night? He wasn’t sure entirely which it could be, settling on blaming both before he concentrated on Bella, Jacob meeting her eyes squarely for the first time since he’d imprinted on her mid shift after they’d been yelling at each other.

 

“I said, would you want to come to our spring formal? Astra’s asked Paul and I think he’s being resistant and I’m really hoping that your presence will endear the idea of it to him some more,” Jacob was surprised, he hadn’t expected the invite and it brightened the possibility that maybe the imprint pull did work on her, she seemed slightly more resistant to it than Emily or Astra, however Astra genuinely had liked Paul prior to him imprinting, which made the whole deal between the two of them even sweeter. Paul hadn’t mentioned the formal, at least not to any of the pack and Jake wondered briefly if it was because he was embarrassed, Paul had finished school several years prior and maybe he disliked the idea of being invited to a high school formal. However, Jacob couldn’t see him missing out on the opportunity to spend time with Astra in a pretty dress. 

 

Sometimes Jake detested the pack link, especially when he’d first shifted, he’d hated it. He’d found out from it that the girl he liked was Paul’s imprint, that despite his best efforts, she was someone else’s forever, not his. But that sour, jealous part of him had leeched away, seeing the way Astra was in Paul’s eyes made him realise that truly no one was better for either of them. Seeing Astra through Paul’s eyes was strange, she seemed the same but different, as though she was not quite if this world and that had been what had made Jacob’s mind, the way he saw her was something Jacob could not rival and now, he had Bella to look at just like that.

 

“I mean, hanging out with some pale faces for the evening? I’d love to Bella, honestly. I reckon Paul’s just hesitating because he might worry about what Sam will say, so tell Astra not to stress about it,” Bella hooked her lip between her teeth, anxiety dissipating but there was something else, glimmering beneath the surface. He cocked his head, stepping closer to her without a thought and put a hand on her bicep, his fingers warm against her arm. 

 

“Don’t freak out and please don’t say anything to Paul yet, but Astra’s sick, I don’t know how sick but Rosalie’s taking her to see Carlisle but if they’re taking her to him, I’m worried something might be wrong,” Jake’s eyes narrowed slightly, this was information Paul would kill him over and now a part of him was worried for Astra and her safety. After all, imprints were part of the pack through association and they were a protected element, if anything happened to one of them, he wasn’t sure the outcome, especially with how volatile Paul was already. Seeing him around Astra was different however, she seemed to even out the fire of his temper although she had a temper of her own, hers was more like ice than fire.

 

“You understand, as Astra is his imprint, Paul will need to know, right? I mean, if it were you, I’d be distraught, Paul is a lot more explosive emotion wise and if he catches the thought in my head when I shift, he’ll rip me apart. Imprints are sacred to the pack, if he knows I withheld information like that, he’ll be both distraught and furious. It’s different with them, they were in love before the imprint so their bond is stronger than most,” His words slowed when he caught her startled eyes sweeping over him, her lips had parted and she looked more tense than usual. He cocked his head, wrapping an arm around her briefly to pull her to his chest and she embraced him, her fingers lingering on the planes of his shoulders. She was loosening within his arms and he relaxed too, relieved that his touch had such an effect on his imprint and vice versa. 

 

“We better tell him quickly, Rosalie was taking Astra after school finished and I came straight here. To intercept them, with Paul, we’ll have to leave now. I don’t want you to cop the brunt of his anger because you’re the messenger, I’ll tell him, but I think he’ll be more worried than anything else,” Seemingly without thinking, Bella brushed her fingers down Jacob’s cheek, a sweet gesture as she turned and hurried back towards her truck, the general notion being for him to follow her. He did, locking the door behind him, glad his father was in Sue Clearwater’s care for now and jogged to jump into the passenger seat of Bella’s truck.

 

Paul was silent, a tightly woven mesh of nerves in the middle seat of Bella’s truck, his broad shoulders stiff against Bella and Jacob’s. Neither were quite sure this was the best place to put him but it kept him from doing anything without thinking it through fully. Jacob doubted it would truly stop him but Bella being his imprint meant that no matter Paul’s frustration, he would not hurt her. 

 

Forks General was, as per usual, bustling. People milled in waiting rooms, nurses chatted as they headed down hallways and all of them moved out of the way as Paul strode through. Bella and Jacob hurried behind him as he walked up to the admissions desk, speaking calmly to the receptionist but Jake could see the veins showing as he gripped the sides of the desk, knuckles whitening. Once they were directed, Jake and Bella hung back a little so as to let Paul reach his imprint first, Bella seemed almost hesitant and Jake sympathised with her, but no matter how deep Bella and Astra’s connection was, Paul’s outweighed everyone’s. He went through a door labelled 66 and Bella and Jake waited a moment, sharing a glance before they followed him through into the room. 

 

Carlisle Cullen was almost paler than Jacob expected, though his golden eyes were warmer than what he was used to with the rest of the Cullens. Carlisle smiled warmly at Bella, before directing the same smile in Jacob’s direction, a gesture that surprised him but he returned it without a second thought. Paul was by the bed, in which Astra, also paler than Jacob remembered, laid though she was beginning to sit up gingerly. Bella’s face dropped slightly as she studied her best friend and Jake knew from her eyes that this was worse than before. Jake stepped in front of the two, turning slightly towards Carlisle and Bella, both realising what he was doing by this and both settled into the new stance.

 

“Jacob, lovely to meet you finally. Paul introduced himself and I’m aware of their connection and from what Edward’s told me, she’s unaware of it for now. Now, I must express to you that Astra is quite contagious, so I would prefer that Bella, you keep your distance. Astra has a strain of flu, Type A that is going to keep her in bed for the next few days. Because Astra has an odd dysfunction with her immune system, we have to keep her here for observation as she is quite likely to deteriorate if she’s not keenly supervised,” This was news to Bella and Jake, though Paul, who was obviously listening in, didn’t seem surprised as he spoke to her softly, what Jake could hear of his voice was urgent as he stroked her face gently. The way Paul looked at Astra rivalled the way Sam looked at Emily, that infatuated way that wolves looked at their imprints had always bemused Jacob until he had one of his own. He understood now, understood why both of them seemed to soften when their imprints were around and how they both seemed to become more level headed the moment their imprint entered the room. He wondered almost nervously if Bella could feel the pull; in the same way Emily could and the way an unknowing Astra was. He hoped she did and a part of also hoped she didn’t, that it would be almost natural if she fell in love with him. But for now, he could only hope.


End file.
